Diabetes Care
Volume 26, Issue 2, 2003, Pages 327-332

Outcome of pregnancy among immigrant women with diabetes (Article) (Open Access)

Vangen S.* , Stoltenberg C. , Holan S. , Moe N. , Magnus P. , Harris J.R. , Stray-Pedersen B.
  • a Division of Epidemiology, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway, Department of Obstetrics, National Hospital, Oslo, Norway, Division of Epidemiology, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, PO Box 4404, Nydalen, N-0403 Oslo, Norway
  • b Division of Epidemiology, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
  • c Department of Obstetrics, Aker University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
  • d Department of Obstetrics, National Hospital, Oslo, Norway
  • e Division of Epidemiology, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
  • f Division of Epidemiology, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
  • g Department of Obstetrics, National Hospital, Oslo, Norway

Abstract

OBJECTIVE - We studied outcome of pregnancy among immigrant women with diabetes. The women came from regions of the world with high incidence of impaired glucose tolerance and type 2 diabetes. Prevalences, secular trends, and sociodemographic risk factors of diabetes were also explored. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS - Data from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway on all births from 1988 to 1998 for mothers born in South Asia and North Africa (11,268) and Norway (601,785) were analyzed. RESULTS - The prevalence of pregestational diabetes among the immigrants was 8.9/1,000 births, which was more than twice the rate among ethnic Norwegians (3.6/1,000). Time trends indicated increasing prevalences in both groups. Among the immigrants, diabetes was closely associated with maternal age. Maternal diabetes was associated with a significantly increased risk of pregnancy complications in both study groups. Increased risks were found for low birth weight, macrosomia, preterm birth, preeclampsia, and cesarean sections. Among ethnic Norwegians, maternal diabetes conferred a significantly increased risk of infant perinatal death (odds ratio 2.00, 95% CI 1,44-2.77). In the sample of immigrant women with predominantly type 2 diabetes, maternal diabetes was not significantly associated with perinatal death or congenital malformations in the offspring. CONCLUSIONS - The high prevalence of diabetes among immigrants from South Asia and North Africa represents a challenge for health care providers. To prevent adverse pregnancy outcomes and later cardiovascular and renal morbidity among these groups, early diagnosis of diabetes, adequate metabolic control, and relevant preventive measures are warranted.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

immigrant Maternal Age Norway demography non insulin dependent diabetes mellitus pregnancy complication Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 human statistics Ethnic Groups diabetes mellitus ethnic group ethnology maternal diabetes mellitus Humans Pregnancy in Diabetics female risk factor Risk Factors Africa pregnancy prevalence Article glucose blood level pregnancy outcome major clinical study adult Africa, Northern migration Emigration and Immigration social class metabolic regulation impaired glucose tolerance pathophysiology early diagnosis pregnancy diabetes mellitus
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-0042309757&doi=10.2337%2fdiacare.26.2.327&partnerID=40&md5=e520a8ed4882c18e3ef8ed34c38d6293
DOI: 10.2337/diacare.26.2.327
ISSN: 01495992
Cited by: 55
Original Language: English