Aim: To compare pregnancy outcome and factors related to adverse perinatal outcome in women with type 1 versus type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM).
Material and methods: Multicentre retrospective study. Some 404 women were studied, 257 with type 1 DM and 147 with type 2 DM. Main outcome measures were rates of prematurity, macrosomia, instrumental deliveries, congenital malformations, need for neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), and perinatal mortality.
Results: There were no significant differences in pregnancy outcome between women with type 1 and type 2 DM, except for an increased rate of instrumental deliveries in women with type 1 DM. In these women, duration of diabetes was a significant predictor of caesarean delivery (OR =1.06 (1.01-1.12); p=0.02). Chronic hypertension was positively related to prematurity (p=0.02), and proved to be a significant predictor of birth weight lower than 2,500 g (OR =3.54 (1.4-12.49); p=0.043) and perinatal mortality (OR =10.6 (1.15-117.6); p=0.04). In women with type 2 DM, third trimester higher glycosylated haemoglobin was related to both prematurity (OR 4.9 (1.7-14.4; p=0.004) and low birth weight. Macrosomia was a significant risk factor for caesarean section. First trimester glycosylated haemoglobin was related to congenital malformations and proved to be a significant predictor of perinatal mortality (OR =2.4 (1.02-5.74); p=0.04).
Conclusions: Duration of DM and chronic hypertension were the most influential factors related to adverse perinatal outcomes in women with type 1 DM, and poor metabolic control and macrosomia in women with type 2 DM.