Outcome of diabetic pregnancy and glucose intolerance in pregnancy: an audit of fetal loss in Newcastle General Hospital 1977-1990.

The outcome of pregnancy complicated by established diabetes or gestational glucose intolerance (diabetes mellitus or impaired glucose tolerance) is compared with the outcome of non-diabetic pregnancy. Between 1977 and 1990, 169 pregnancies in women with established diabetes and 61 pregnancies in women with gestational glucose intolerance were referred to the Newcastle General Hospital. The perinatal mortality (PNM) in women with established diabetes was 8.2/1000 and the viable fetal loss (sum of PNM, neonatal and infant loss) was 41/1000. The PNM in women with gestational glucose intolerance was 49.2/1000 and the viable fetal loss was 82/1000. The PNM in the background population was 11.6/1000. The fetal malformation rate was 17.3% for established diabetes, 9.8% in gestational glucose intolerance and 2.2% in the background population. Fetal abnormality remains the major cause of viable fetal loss in both established diabetes and gestational glucose intolerance.