Managing pregnancy in women with Type 1 diabetes

Pregnancy in women with Type 1 diabetes is associated with an increased risk of complications for both the woman and her offspring. The risks can be effectively ameliorated when women are managed by experienced, multidisciplinary obstetric diabetes teams, emphasizing pre-pregnancy planning with tight glycemic control before and during pregnancy, and close monitoring during labor, delivery and postpartum. This review describes the issues particular to Type 1 diabetes pregnancy and how best to manage these pregnancies to minimize negative outcomes. There is also a brief description of recent developments in the field and current research on novel therapies.