TRIALS OF PRECONCEPTION CARE FOR WOMEN

WITH DIABETES MELLITUS AND MALFORMATIONS

Many workers have reported a dramatic decrease in the incidence of major congenital malformations among the offspring of diabetic women who sought preconception care, and in whom virtually normal glucose levels were obtained during the early weeks of gestation.

Ref.	Preconception Malformations in:
	Attenders (%)	Nonattenders (%)
(1) (2) (3) (4)	1/128 (0.8%) 2/193 (1.0%) 2/143 (1.4%) 1/62 (1.6%)	22/292 (7.5%) 5/61 (8.2%) 10/96 (10.4%) 8/123 (6.5%)

REFERENCES

1. Fuhrmann K, Reiker H, Semmler K et.al. The effect of intensified conventional insulin therapy before and during pregnancy on the malformation rate in offspring of diabetic mothers. Exp Clin Endocrinol 1984;83:173.
2. Damm P, Molsted-Pedersen L. Significant decrease in congenital malformations in newborn infants of an unselected population of diabetic women. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1989;161:1163.
3. Steel JM. Pregnancy councelling and contraception in the insulin-dependent diabetic Patient. Clin Obstet Gynecol 1985;28:553.
4. Willhoite MB, Benvert HW, Palomaki GE et.al. The impact of preconception councelling on pregnant outcomes: The experience of the Maine Diabetes in Pregnancy Program. Program Diabetes Care 1993;16:450-455.