OBJECTIVES: to identify characteristics of the mother related to failure of treatment of diabetes mellitus in pregnancy using metformin. METHODS: an observational retrospective study (July 2008- September 2010), with 104 pregnant women with pregnancy-related diabetes mellitus needing therapy to complement dietary treatment and using metformin. The women were divided into two groups: successful treatment (n=82), where the drug was maintained up to delivery; treatment failure (n=22) where the drug was replaced by insulin. The maternal variables studied were age, number of deliveries, weight gain during pregnancy, fasting glycaemia and two hours after OGTT75g, gestational age on diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. Variables relating to the newborn were incidence of GIG and neonatal hypoglycaemia. The clinical and metabolic characteristics of the mother and perinatal results were compared. The level of significance used was 5%. RESULTS: there were diferences in the gestational age on diagnosis of diabetes melittus (27.5 vs 24.3 weeks; p=0.02), body mass index (BMI) (27.5 vs 31.6 kg/m²; p=0.01), and fasting glycaemia on OGTT75g (91.5 vs 108 mg/dL; p=0.02), in the treatment success and failure groups, respectively. Treatment failure increased the weight index of newborns (2.8 vs 3 g/cm³; p=0.05), the incidence of GIG in RNs (4.9 vs 22.7%; p=0.02) and neonatal hypoglycaemia (6.1 vs 18.2%; p=0.04). The data on newborns were secondary objectives. CONCLUSIONS: early diagnosis, higher BMI and higher fasting glycaemia OGTT75g were more related to treatment failure.
Diabetes; gestational; Metformin; Infant; newborn
