2017 Volume 87 Issue Extra2 Pages E182-E186
Preconception counseling is very important for diabetic women to avoid maternal or fetal complications. For more effective preconception counseling, we investigated the actual levels of awareness regarding pregnancy and diabetes in diabetic women contemplating pregnancy.
We conducted a qualitative open-ended interview of 22 diabetic women contemplating a pregnancy. The interview comprised two major parts: knowledge of pregnancy and diabetes and the source of knowledge. We divided the first part, knowledge about pregnancy and diabetes, into eight categories and investigated the relationship between awareness and clinical characteristics.
With regard to knowledge of pregnancy and diabetes, 90 % of subjects were aware of planning a pregnancy; 73 %, of possible maternal complications; and 86 %, of possible fetal complications. We observed that 50 % of subjects had no knowledge regarding either dietary or insulin treatment during pregnancy. We found that their major sources of knowledge were books (45 %) and the internet (29 %).
There was a significant relationship between a lack of awareness regarding pregnancy and diabetes and a higher HbA1c level (p=0.002).
In conclusion, awareness regarding pregnancy and diabetes was found to affect good metabolic control. Preconception counseling for diabetic women is, therefore, necessary to decrease the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes.
