ABSTRACT
The functional immaturity of lung tissue leads to an acute progressive breathing failure, the so-called respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). RDS includes some common clinical signs such as tachypnea, expiratory grunting, nasal flaring, and costal retractions. Diabetic pregnancy, and particularly poorly controlled maternal diabetes, represents one of the most important risks for RDS. In this kind of high-risk pregnancy, metabolic control and evaluation of fetal well-being with serial ultrasound scans are crucial in the maternal clinic care. Diabetes may affect the secretion of the fetal lung fluid, resulting in a higher removal of phospholipids from the alveolar lining and in an increase false-negative rate. It is largely accepted that a close blood glucose control should be maintained during pregnancy, in order to reduce complications of diabetes like macrosomia. Furthermore, when a preterm delivery is indicated such as in uncontrolled diabetic patients, it is mandatory to use a combination of tests for the prediction of fetal lung maturity.
