title: Infertility and pregnancy outcome in an unselected group of women with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The null hypothesis of this study is that infertility and pregnancy outcomes in women with insulin-dependent diabetes are identical to those of nondiabetic control subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire survey comprising an unselected population of 18- to 49-year-old diabetic women and a comparable control group was performed. Reply rates were 94% (n = 245) and 88% (n = 253), respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cumulative rates of pregnancies and involuntary infertility (17%) did not differ between the two groups. Diabetic women had significantly fewer pregnancies (1.4 vs 1.7) and fewer births per pregnancy than controls, and more diabetic women were nulliparous (48% vs 38%). Half of all diabetic pregnancies were planned. Diabetic women reported that their diabetes had a negative influence on their attitude toward having children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In insulin-dependent diabetic women the ability to conceive is normal, but diabetic women have fewer pregnancies and fewer births per pregnancy than controls.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Endocrinology, Odense University Hospital, Denmark.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kjaer
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hagen
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Sandø
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Eshøj
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D002585:Cesarean Section; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000150:complications*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011254:Pregnancy in Diabetics / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires