Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) affects up to 10% of all pregnancies and results in significant maternal and neonatal morbidities.
Objectives: Our main objective was to investigate retrospectively the rate of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admissions and significant neonatal complications in pregnant mothers with gestational diabetes.
Materials and methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted. The medical records of King Khalid University Hospital (KKUH) were reviewed from January till December 2007. All pregnant women with GDM along with their offsprings were included and matched with healthy pregnant women. The primary outcome was the rate of NICU admission, hypoglycemia, birth weight and length of hospital stay.
Results: A total of 766 mothers (419 GDM mothers and 347 controls) with their term babies were included. Infants born to GDM mothers had significantly higher risk of NICU admissions [OR 2.7 (95% CI 1.5, 4.9), P value 0.0004], longer hospital stay and higher rates of hypoglycemia. Newborns of GDM mothers had higher rates of perinatal distress and macrosomia; however, the difference did not reach statistical significance.
Conclusion: GDM remains a significant morbidity to newborns resulting in increased intensive care admission, prolongation of hospital stay and higher rates of neonatal hypoglycemia. More efforts to assure early recognition and strict sugar control during pregnancy are still needed.
Keywords: Gestational diabetes mellitus; hypoglycemia; large for gestational age; macrosomia; neonatal intensive care unit.