Morphohistometric investigations of placentas of diabetic patients in correlation to the metabolic adjustment of the disease.

In order to determination if an interdependence exists between the well-known maturational disturbances in placentas of diabetics and the quality of metabolic adjustment, a morphometric study covering 7,500 terminal villi of 50 placentas was performed. The diabetic mothers were divided into two groups according to satisfactory or unsatisfactory blood glucose values. Significant differences in placental retardation were observed between both diabetic groups and a normal control group. Although outcomes did not differ greatly between the two diabetic groups, macrosomia and the ratio of malformations in the newborns correlate with unsatisfactory metabolic management. Small-for-date babies, the need for early termination of pregnancy as well as pre-eclampsia are related to the severity and duration of the disease.