Abstract:
Objectives To assess the clinical, biochemical and
echocardiographic findings of infants born to diabetic
mothers given human insulin and to compare the impact
of pre-gestational and gestational diabetes.
Design Prospective descriptive study.
Method Fifty one infants born to diabetic mothers
treated with human insulin were studied. 23 had pregestational
and 28 had gestational diabetes. Mode of
delivery, prematurity, birth weight, asphyxia, plethora,
congenital malformations, hypoglycaemia and
hyperbilirubinaemia were analysed. The data was also
compared with the details of the total birth cohort group
of the same unit.
Results Caesarian section was performed in 55%. Birth
weights of over 3.5 kg were seen in 15.6% while
prematurity was present in 10%. Small-for-dates (14%),
large-for dates (4%), symptomatic hypoglycaemia (2%)
asymptomatic hypoglycaemia (12%), plethora (2%),
hyperbilirubinaemia (12%), congenital malformations
(13%) and cardiac septal hypertrophy (8%) were the
main morbidity features. Prematurity, low birth weight
and cardiomyopathy were significantly higher in pregestational
diabetes. Caesarian sections, prematurity,
high birth weight and congenital malformations were
higher in the study group when compared to the general
birth cohort.
Conclusions Morbidity in this series was higher than in
the general population despite strict control of diabetes
with human insulin.
