Alterations of carbohydrate metabolism during pregnancy. Effects on the mother and new born infant

Abstract

Introduction: Gestational diabetes is the pathology that most frequently causes medical alterations in pregnancy. The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between the presence of alterations in the metabolism of carbohydrates during pregnancy and the risk of adverse obstetric outcomes in mother and foetus.

Patients and method: An observational study was conducted on 799 women who had just given birth. The clinical and obstetric characteristics of the patients, as well as the data related to pregnancy and delivery, including the state of the new born infant were analysed. The information was evaluated in relation to the alterations in carbohydrate metabolism.

Results and discussion: For women with gestational diabetes a 2.64 times greater risk of loss of foetal well-being and 3.14 times greater risk of requiring hospitalization during pregnancy were found. For pregnant women with carbohydrate intolerance, a 2.61 times higher risk of requiring episiotomy in vaginal delivery, a 7.54 times greater risk of finding loss of foetal well-being, and a 2.06 times greater risk of requiring hospitalization were found. The group with carbohydrate intolerance behaved similarly to that with diabetes.

Conclusions: The group with intolerance to carbohydrates is a little studied group and significant obstetric alterations were found compared to the control group and similar to those of the gestational diabetes group.

Keywords: Carbohydrate intolerance; Diabetes; Diabetes gestacional; Embarazo; Gestational diabetes; Intolerancia hidratos de carbono; Pregnancy.