Abstract
Pregnancy in a diabetic woman brings about many changes that can lead to the development of diabetic retinopathy (DR) or worsening of pre-existing disease. In some patients this may develop into sight threatening disease which, if not treated adequately, can cause devastating visual impairment. There is a lack of established guidelines for screening these patients during pregnancy. In this article we discuss the physiological changes during pregnancy that contribute to worsening of diabetic retinopathy and review the relative contribution of risk factors to the underlying pathological processes. It is important to identify and treat any pre-existing retinopathy in diabetic women considering pregnancy and optimise glycaemic control prior to conception. Rapid tightening of glycaemic control after conception is associated with a less favourable outcome. Based on the existing literature we suggest guidelines for diabetic retinopathy screening for women during pregnancy. Established sight-threatening retinopathy should be treated at an earlier stage in pregnant women compared to non-pregnant diabetics with a similar disease.
Keywords: Diabetic retinopathy, Diabetes mellitus, Pregnancy, Laser photocoagulation, Screening
Current Diabetes Reviews
Title: Diabetic Retinopathy in Pregnancy
Volume: 5 Issue: 3
Author(s): Ajay Bhatnagar, Abdul-Jabbar Ghauri, Monique Hope-Ross and Peck L. Lip
Affiliation:
Keywords: Diabetic retinopathy, Diabetes mellitus, Pregnancy, Laser photocoagulation, Screening
Abstract: Pregnancy in a diabetic woman brings about many changes that can lead to the development of diabetic retinopathy (DR) or worsening of pre-existing disease. In some patients this may develop into sight threatening disease which, if not treated adequately, can cause devastating visual impairment. There is a lack of established guidelines for screening these patients during pregnancy. In this article we discuss the physiological changes during pregnancy that contribute to worsening of diabetic retinopathy and review the relative contribution of risk factors to the underlying pathological processes. It is important to identify and treat any pre-existing retinopathy in diabetic women considering pregnancy and optimise glycaemic control prior to conception. Rapid tightening of glycaemic control after conception is associated with a less favourable outcome. Based on the existing literature we suggest guidelines for diabetic retinopathy screening for women during pregnancy. Established sight-threatening retinopathy should be treated at an earlier stage in pregnant women compared to non-pregnant diabetics with a similar disease.
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Cite this article as:
Bhatnagar Ajay, Ghauri Abdul-Jabbar, Hope-Ross Monique and Lip L. Peck, Diabetic Retinopathy in Pregnancy, Current Diabetes Reviews 2009; 5 (3) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/157339909788920929
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/157339909788920929 |
Print ISSN 1573-3998 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1875-6417 |
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