The effect of metabolic control on fetal nuchal translucency in women with insulin-dependent diabetes: a preliminary study.

Diabetes could potentially alter fetal nuchal translucency (NT) measurements mainly by increasing microvascular permeability. The aim of this study was to test this hypothesis. Sixty-five women with pre-pregnancy insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus undergoing NT screening were evaluated. The main outcome measure was the NT measurement, expressed as both absolute measurements and delta values (number of standard deviations by which the observed value differed from the normal mean for the same gestation). The relationships between NT and years of diabetes, insulin dose, glycosylated hemoglobin, and glycemic capillary profiles ('tight' glycemic control) were studied. There was no significant correlation between NT and any of the studied parameters. There were no differences in NT according to the result of either glycosylated hemoglobin or 'tight' control. Metabolic control does not affect the result of ultrasound-determined fetal NT measurement which, when available, seems to be the best option for screening for Down syndrome in women with diabetes mellitus. Copyright 2003 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.