Introduction
Diabetes mellitus is the endocrine-metabolic disease that
most commonly complicates pregnancy, either as gestational
diabetes (GD) or as pregestational diabetes (PGD).
The significance of the disease stems from both its
prevalence and the negative implications for the mother,
fetus, and newborn,1 despite the fact that the associated
complications have decreased in the past four decades.2 The
treatment of GD is associated with a decreased frequency
of preeclampsia, shoulder dystocia, and macrosomia.3 On
the other hand, the planning of pregnancy and preconception
controls in PGD have been associated with a decreased
frequency of congenital malformations, the risk of preterm
delivery, and perinatal mortality.4,5
The objectives, management, and resources (both material
and human) required for an adequate metabolic,
obstetric, and perinatal control of pregnancies complicated
with diabetes are regularly reviewed and published
in the guidelines for care of the main scientific bodies.6---9
The Spanish Group on Diabetes and Pregnancy (GEDE) of the
Spanish Diabetes Society (SED) recently updated its guidelines
regarding patient care, adapting the scientific evidence
available to the currently existing working environment.1 In
any health system, understanding the actual situation and
the level of care provided to pregnant women with diabetes
is essential in order to achieve adequate maternal and fetal
outcomes, to be able to detect deficiencies, and to propose
improvements.
In this regard, the GEDE wanted to know as much as
possible regarding the organization of care for pregnancies
complicated by diabetes, the services provided, the
material and human resources available and, especially,
the diabetological care available. An attempt was made to
estimate the number and characteristics of diabetes and
pregnancy units (DPUs) and the population they cover.