Introduction: An adverse intrauterine environment in early pregnancy in women with type 1 diabetes is associated with several perinatal complications including spontaneous abortions, fetal congenital defects, and preeclampsia.
Objectives: We compared metabolic parameters in the first trimester of pregnancy between women with type 1 diabetes treated with continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) and those treated with multiple daily injections (MDI).
Patients and methods: A total of 168 women in the first trimester of pregnancy (33 using CSII and 135 using MDI) were enrolled in this cross-sectional single-center study. Anthropometric parameters, fasting serum levels of hemoglobin A(1c) (HbA(1c)), lipid profile, and estimated glucose disposal rate (eGDR) were determined.
Results: Patients did not differ in gestational or maternal age, diabetes duration, and the frequency of planned pregnancies. Women using CSII before pregnancy had lower body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio than those using MDI (22.3 vs 23.3 and 0.77 vs 0.79, respectively, P = 0.01). A similar number of women had hypertension; however, the CSII group had lower diastolic blood pressure (P = 0.02). Moreover, the CSII group had a significantly lower insulin requirement (0.54 vs 0.63 units/kg; P = 0.02), significantly higher eGDR (11.3 vs 10.5 mg/kg/min; P = 0.0007), and significantly lower serum triglyceride levels (53.1 vs 61.8 mg/dl; P = 0.004). In a multiple regression analysis, CSII therapy was associated with higher eGDR, lower HbA(1c), and lower serum triglyceride levels.
Conclusions: The use of CSII before pregnancy in patients with type 1 diabetes is associated with better metabolic profile in the first trimester.