Pragmatic approach and variations in the management of pregnant women with type 1 diabetes mellitus on insulin pump: a case series

Background According to a 2017 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report, there were 23.1 million Americans living with diagnosed diabetes. Diabetes-related complications in pregnancy are spontaneous abortion, preterm delivery, preeclampsia, fetal malformations, altered fetal growth, polyhydramnios, and unexplained fetal demise. Continuous insulin delivery through insulin pump is used for effective management of type 1 diabetes (T1DM). Case presentation We present case reports of four patients who were on insulin pump for at least 1 year prior to pregnancy and continued throughout their pregnancy. Although these case reports demonstrated overall good pregnancy outcomes, it did not show how well their blood glucose was controlled during pregnancy. Conclusion Standard of care in diabetic management during pregnancy using insulin pump in the presented case reports supports the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists recommendation that insulin pump should be used for women with preexisting T1DM during pregnancy.