Glucose control

Patient comes in for routine ultrasound at 35 weeks pregnant. No fetal heart tones.

Diagnosis: IUFD. Intrauterine fetal death. 

Classic case, the attending says. Poor diabetic control. Uncontrolled sugars are most likely the reason the baby died. 

The attending tells me: What can you do? You want to go and say - oh it's not your fault, these things happen. But it wouldn't be truthful. But how helpful is it to say all of that at this time? There's a balance. 

So much respect for this attending. 

And so sad for this baby that was carried for 8 months.