An audit of stillborn babies in mothers with diabetes mellitus at a tertiary South African Hospital
Date
2019-12
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Abstract
Objectives and design: This study is a retrospective audit spanning six years following the implementation of a new guideline
on the management of diabetes in pregnancy. It aims to describe the patient profile of pregnancies complicated by diabetes
and stillbirth.
Setting: The study was performed in Tygerberg Hospital, Cape Town, a secondary and tertiary referral centre.
Subjects: Fifty-eight pregnancies were complicated by stillbirth (> 500 g). Outcome measures: the patient profile, gestational
age, co-morbidities, foetal/placental monitoring and avoidable factors were described.
Results: Many patients (32%) booked after 24 weeks’ gestation and missed appointments were common (26.2%). Stillbirths
ascribed to diabetes constituted 2.3% of all stillbirths at the hospital during the study period. Of the stillbirths 28.1% had Type I
diabetes mellitus (DM), 64.9% had Type II and 7.0% were in patients with gestational diabetes. The median HbA1c at delivery was
8.4% (range 6.0–14.1%). In the Type II group, 31 (77.5%) of the stillbirths occurred after 36 weeks, while those among the Type I
cases ranged from 26 to 38 weeks.
Conclusion: Stillbirths amongst pregnant women with diabetes constituted a small percentage of the total stillbirth burden.
Emphasising the importance of appropriate antenatal care to women with diabetes and increased surveillance from 36 weeks’
gestation may lower the number of stillbirths.
Description
CITATION: Rossouw, J. Hall, D., Mason, D. & Gebhardt, G. 2017. An audit of stillborn babies in mothers with diabetes mellitus at a tertiary South African Hospital. Journal of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes of South Africa, 22(2):26-30, doi:10.1080/16089677.2017.1331652.
The original publication is available at https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/oemd20/current
The original publication is available at https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/oemd20/current
Keywords
Stillborn babies, Diabetes mellitus, Pregnancy, Stillbirth, Mothers with diabetes
Citation
Rossouw, J., Hall, D., Mason, D. & Gebhardt, G. 2017. An audit of stillborn babies in mothers with diabetes mellitus at a tertiary South African Hospital. Journal of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes of South Africa, 22(2):26-30, doi:10.1080/16089677.2017.1331652.