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Chronic Medical Conditions: Diabetes                                  

Page 8 of 15    

 

The relationship between maternal diabetes and congenital malformations is well established. More recently established is the relationship between good preconception care and a significantly reduced incidence of congenital anomalies, at least in the study performed by National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey in 20041 - enough to prevent malformation in or loss of 113,000 pregnancies annually.

 

However, because so many pregnancies (roughly two-thirds of all) in diabetics are unplanned, good preconception care then must be given as standard care to all reproductive age women with the disease.

 

 

What is good preconception care for women with DM?

 

All reproductive age women with DM need to be counseled on the importance of disease maintenance and potential consequences of poor control for their reproductive future. Specifically, offer counseling on:

  1. Achieving/maintaining optimal weight

  2. Optimal glycemic control

  3. Regular exercise program

  4. Tobacco/alcohol/drug cessation

  5. Accruing social support for help during the pregnancy

We will examine the bulleted items above more closely on the next screens.

 

  1. National Center for Health Statistics. Ambulatory health care data: NAMCS description. Washington, DC: US Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics; 2004 [cited 2009 Jul 20]. Available from http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/ahcd.htm.