Comparison of HbA1c and glycated albumin as a control marker for newborn complications in diabetic women in a multicentre study in Japan (Japan glycated albumin study group: study 2).

Background To clarify the relationship between glycated haemoglobin and glycated albumin concentrations during pregnancy with neonatal outcomes, a multicentre study was conducted by the Japanese Society of Diabetes and Pregnancy. Methods A total of 136 patients (type 1: n = 47, type 2: n = 89) who enrolled in the study were diagnosed based on the Japanese Diabetes Society diagnostic criteria for diabetes mellitus. Thresholds for glycated haemoglobin and glycated albumin were set at 5.8% and 15.8%, respectively, as the upper limits of the reference interval in pregnant women. Result Random plasma glucose decreased linearly, and reached the reference interval at 40 weeks. Glycated albumin concentrations also decreased in the same manner. But glycated haemoglobin concentrations were out of the reference interval during the study. The frequency of the neonatal complications did not show significant differences between the glycated haemoglobin ⩾5.8% group and the glycated haemoglobin <5.8% group. On the other hand, the frequency of neonatal complications showed higher tendency of neonatal complications in the incidence of polycythaemia ( P = 0.094) and heavy-for-date ( P = 0.071) in the glycated albumin ⩾15.8% group compared with the glycated albumin <15.8 group. The respiratory disorder in type 1 diabetes was significantly higher than type 2 diabetes. Conclusions For the treatment of pregnant women with diabetes, glycated albumin would be a better marker than glycated haemoglobin. However, glycated albumin is also affected by obesity and albumin, and it is desirable to make a comprehensive judgment with glycated haemoglobin, random plasma glucose and other glycaemic index.