Metabolic fuel mixtures and diabetic embryopathy.

The incidence of congenital anomalies remains the major cause of morbidity and mortality among the offspring of diabetic women. Animal and human studies indicate that these malformations occur early in pregnancy and are influenced by the abnormal maternal metabolic milieu. This article reviews the recent advances in understanding the pathogenesis of diabetic embryopathy. A possible pathway to explain the various diabetic-related fuel aberration is presented.