All issues > Volume 40(6); 1997

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1997;40(6):809-917. Published online June 15, 1997.

The Perinatal Complications in Infants of Mothers with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

Ju Yeon JY Yeo¹, Seong Won SW Yang¹, Hye Kyung HK Han¹, Mi Ryung MR Um¹, Woo Gill WG Lee¹, Mi Na MN Lee¹, Hak Chul HC Jang², Ho Yeon HY Jung², Eun Sung ES Kim³, Kyu Byung KB Jung³

¹Department of Pediatrics, Samsung Cheil Hospital, Seoul, Korea
²Department of Medicine, Samsung Cheil Hospital, Seoul, Korea
³Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Samsung Cheil Hospital, Seoul, Korea

Abstract

Purpose
: This study was performed to examine the impact of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) on perinatal outcomes, especially macrosomia and metabolic complications in Korean women.
Methods
: We studied perinatal outcomes of 65 women with GDM who delivered a singleton infant and were not complicated by medical disease that might effect the fetal growth, 65 women with normal glucose tolerance were selected to match subject with GDM matched to age, height, and prepregnancy weight.
Results
: 1) Mean birth weight in infants of mothers with GDM was significantly heavier than that in infants of control mothers, even though the delivery was almost one week earlier(3524 vs. 3364gm). 2) Although length and head circumference of infants were not different between 2 groups, chest circumference and Ponderal index were significantly higher in infants of mothers with GDM. 3) The frequencies of LGA infants and macrosomia were higher in GDM group, but frequency of prematurity was not different between 2 groups. 4) The proportion of disproportionate growth among macrosomic infants was significantly higher in GDM group. 5) In infants of mothers with GDM, the frequencies of LGA infants were not significantly different between 2 groups which were separated according to the fasting glucose level measured at the time of diagnosis. 6) In infants of mothers with GDM, the frequencies of hypoglycemia, polycythemia, hypocalcemia and hyperbilirubinemia were 21.5%, 18.5%, 3.1% and 33.8% respectively. When infants of mothers with GDM were divided to 2 groups (LGA, AGA), the frequencies of polycythemia and hyperbilirubinemia in LGA infants were higher than those in AGA infants (30.8 vs. 10.3% and 50.5 vs. 23.1%, respectively). 6) There was a significant positive correlation between Ponderal index and chest circumference/head circumference ratio(r=0.37, p< 0.01).
Conclusion
: Inspite of tight metabolic control of mothers with GDM, perinatal complications, such as macrosomia, hypoglycemia, hyperbilirubinemia were frequent in infants of mothers with GDM. In case of infants of mothers with GDM, perinatal complication should be treated earlier or prevented by careful physical examination and intensive management.

Keywords :Infant, Gestational diabetic mother, Perinatal complications