I am 33 years old, I have had diabetes for 18 years, and I have retinopathy and cardiopathy, both of which are under control. My blood sugars range 4 to 8 mmol/L [72 to 144 mg/dl].

I am planning a pregnancy, and developed preeclampsia during my fist pregnancy after which the child died. I have been on Humalog for over three years, and two of my doctors say that I must switch from Humalog to any Regular insulin since Humalog wasn’t tested on pregnant women and could cause birth defects. Two of my other doctors say that Humalog is suitable for pregnancy so I can not decide who is right. What do you think? What do you think about glargine and pregnancy?

Humalog appears to be safe in pregnancy, but there are no studies that confirm this. Many of my patients are using Humalog without problems. If you want to be absolutely safe, then use Regular during the first eight weeks of pregnancy and switch over to Humalog after that time.

I have only had one or two patients using Lantus (insulin glargine) and am not aware of any adverse effects on the fetus. Once again, there are no reports of problems.

I am concerned about the condition of your retina and heart. Pregnancy has the possibility of worsening these conditions. In addition, you are at higher risk of poor fetal growth and premature delivery. You should consult with a high-risk pregnancy specialist before getting pregnant.

OWJ