The following is a summary of “Glucose Control during Pregnancy in Patients with Type 1 diabetes correlates with Fetal Hemodynamics: A Prospective Longitudinal Study,” published in the April 2024 issue of Obstetrics and Gynaecology by Simjak et al.
The developmental trajectory of the fetal cardiovascular system can be significantly influenced by maternal diabetes, yet the specific impact of glucose control on fetal cardiac morphology and function remains understudied. Therefore, the study aimed to elucidate the association between maternal glucose control and fetal cardiac parameters in type 1 diabetes while comparing these findings with healthy controls. In this prospective longitudinal case-control investigation, researchers enrolled 62 pregnant women with type 1 diabetes mellitus alongside 30 healthy pregnant counterparts.
Utilizing B-mode, M-mode, and spectral pulsed-wave Doppler, investigators conducted comprehensive fetal cardiac assessments during the second and third times using B-mode, M-mode, and spectral pulsed-wave Dopplerters. For women with type 1 diabetes, glycated hemoglobin levels and glucose sensor data, including time spent within, below, and above the glycemic range (TIR, TBR, and TAR, respectively), as well as the coefficient of variation (CV), were scrutinized across three gestational periods. The results revealed notable disparities in fetal cardiac indices between the diabetic and control groups, particularly evident in the later stages of gestation. Intriguingly, fetal cardiac parameters such as left and right ventricular stroke volumes, cardiac output, and valvular dimensions exhibited significant correlations with maternal glycemic metrics.
Specifically, during mid-gestation, the study group observed an inverse relationship between glucose variability and fetal cardiac function. At the same time, maternal hyperglycemia in early pregnancy appeared to impact diastolic function in later gestational periods. These findings underscore the intricate interplay between maternal glucose dynamics and fetal cardiac development, emphasizing the importance of optimal glycemic control in mitigating adverse fetal outcomes in pregnancies complicated by type 1 diabetes.
Source: bmcpregnancychildbirth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12884-024-06462-7