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Insulin Pumps in Pregnancy: Using Technology to Achieve Normoglycemia in Women with Diabetes

  • Diabetes and Pregnancy (CJ Homko, Section Editor)
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Abstract

Poorly controlled diabetes before conception and during pregnancy among women with pre-existing diabetes can cause major birth defects and spontaneous abortions, as wells as abnormal fetal growth and development including an offspring who is small or large for gestational age, or predisposed to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome in his/her lifetime. Conversely, for a woman with pre-existing diabetes, optimizing blood glucose levels before and during early pregnancy can reduce these risks dramatically. As insulin pump technology has evolved, continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion has become a safe and reliable method for treating diabetes during pregnancy. Although pump therapy is often preferred by patients and some experts, insulin pumps have not yet been shown to be superior to multiple daily injections of insulin during pregnancy. In this review of the literature we focus on the use of insulin pumps in the management of diabetes in pregnancy.

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Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance •• Of major importance

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Disclosure

Conflicts of interest: K. Castorino: has received clinical trial grant support from Sonofi Aventis, NovoNordisk, Dexcom, and Medtronic; R. Paband: none; H. Zisser: has been a consultant for Animas, Insulet, and Roche; has received grant support from Animas, Insulet, Medtronic, and Roche; has received honoraria from Animas, Insulet, and Roche; has received payment for development of educational presentations including service on speakers’ bureaus for Animas, Insulet, and Roche; and has received travel/accommodations expenses covered or reimbursed from Animas, Insulet, and Roche; L. Jovanovič: none.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sansum Diabetes Research Institute, 2219 Bath Street, Santa Barbara, CA, 93105, USA

    Kristin Castorino, Howard Zisser & Lois Jovanovič

  2. Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, PO Box 689, Pueblo at Bath, Santa Barbara, CA, 93102-0689, USA

    Rashid Paband

Authors
  1. Kristin Castorino
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  2. Rashid Paband
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  3. Howard Zisser
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  4. Lois Jovanovič
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kristin Castorino.

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Castorino, K., Paband, R., Zisser, H. et al. Insulin Pumps in Pregnancy: Using Technology to Achieve Normoglycemia in Women with Diabetes. Curr Diab Rep 12, 53–59 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11892-011-0242-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11892-011-0242-7

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