DIABETIC-RETINOPATHY DURING PREGNANCY

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to evaluate the incidence, preval ence, progression, and risk factors of diabetic retinopathy during pre gnancy. Methods: Sixty-five patients who were pregnant and had insulin -dependent diabetes mellitus were evaluated before pregnancy, in every trimester during the pregnancy, and 12 months postpartum. The medical data included age, diabetes duration, glycohemoglobin, fructosamine, hemoglobin, creatinine, uric acid, and systolic and diastolic blood pr essure. Results: Progression of the retinopathy occurred in 77.5% of t he patients who presented with diabetic retinopathy at conception; pro liferative diabetic retinopathy occurred in 22.5%. Only 26% of the pat ients who started the pregnancy without diabetic retinopathy had some progression of the retinopathy. Duration of the diabetes was longer in the progressive group compared with the nonprogressive group (P = 0.0 07). The glycohemoglobin was higher in the progressive group than in t he nonprogressive group at each time point, but only in the third trim ester was the difference statistically significant (P = 0.04). The hem oglobin level was lower in the progressive group than in the nonprogre ssive group (P < 0.01), The systolic blood pressure was higher in the progressive group (P < 0.005). Conclusion: Understanding the risk fact ors contributing to the aggravation of diabetic retinopathy during pre gnancy is helpful in designing criteria for the team management of pre gnant patients with diabetes.