Caring for pregnant women with diabetes

Continuity of midwifery care (CMC) has been associated with favourable outcomes for ‘low-risk’ mothers and babies. It was hypothesised that CMC in pregnant women with diabetes would reduce the postnatal length of stay and improve maternal satisfaction with intrapartum and total pregnancy care. Women with gestational, type 1 and type 2 diabetes (n=284) were randomised, to CMC, provided by one of three midwives, or to standard care provided by a variety of midwives. Eighty eight percent of women were very satisfied with overall care and rates of satisfaction did not differ between groups. There was a trend to increased satisfaction with labour care in the continuity group. Women randomised to CMC had a shorter mean duration of labour and the postnatal readmission rate was less. There was no difference in the rate of neonatal hypoglycaemia, however, there was a significant reduction in newborn admission to the neonatal unit for hypoglycaemia in the continuity group. CMC did not reduce postnatal length of sta...