Treatment of Pregnant Women in Diabetes Specialist Practices

'GestDiab' is an ongoing project monitoring the treatment of pregnant women in diabetes specialist practices (DSPs). In 2008, data on anamnesis, diagnosis, therapy, delivery, and incidence of complications in the mother and the newborn were collected from 1 075 pregnant women with diabetes (gestational: 1 005; type 1: 40; type 2: 30) across 16 DSPs. Women with gestational diabetes showed up for an average of 8.2 consultations and/or training sessions (median = 7). Of the women who delivered, the number of caesarean sections was only slightly more frequent than in the general population (33% vs. 31%). Post partum diabetes screening by means of a 75 g OGTT was carried out in 32 % of the women who had had gestational diabetes. The OGTT revealed a pathologic result in 52% of cases including 4% diabetes diagnoses. Women with type 2 diabetes were found to differ from those with type 1 diabetes in that they presented themselves less frequently for pre-conceptional care (40%. vs. 73%), were more often smokers (25% vs. 11%), had higher BMIs (mean 32.9 vs. 25,7 kg/m(2)), but fewer disorders secondary to diabetes (3% vs. 30%). Our evaluation revealed that routine treatment had not always been carried out according to the latest scientific knowledge and guidelines.