Congenital Cardiopathies Screening Associated with Diabetes Mellitus Using Maternal Fructosamine Plasma Concentration

The consequences of uncontrolled diabetes mellitus during pregnancy are severe for both mother and fetus. The risk of congenital malformations among infants of diabetic mothers is related to the quality of the diabetic control (Allen et al., 2007; American Diabetes Association [ADA], 2004). In diabetic pregnancy, unsatisfactory glycemic control at the moment of diagnosis or delivery of care was associated with an increased risk of anomalies (Allen et al., 2007; Schaefer-Graf at al., 2000). The most common anomalies involve the cardiac, musculoskeletal, and central nervous systems (Sheffield at al., 2002). Despite this knowledge, it has been disappointing that so few diabetic women receive preconception counseling, plan their pregnancies or are early referred to tertiary centers (American Diabetes Association [ADA], 2004; Reis at al., 2010a). Considering this reality, it is important to study second trimester markers of congenital cardiopathies, in order to decrease fetal morbidity and mortality, at birth.