Perinatal Outcome among Women with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

Background & Objectives: Diabetes in pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of complications in both the mother and the fetus. Early diagnosis by the screening of pregnant women between 24 to 28 weeks of gestation with proper control of diabetes is important to reduce the adverse effects in perinatal outcomes. This study aims to know the perinatal outcome among neonates of diabetic mothers in comparison with those of non-diabetic mothers. Methods: A case control study was carried out at Maternity Teaching Hospital in Erbil City, Kurdistan Region, Iraq over 6 months’ period, from 1st April 2019 to 1st 0f January 2020. A convenient sample size of 100 participants of diabetic mothers compared with 100 non-diabetic mothers with ? 34 weeks of gestation till one week post-delivery, perinatal outcome including gestational age, mode of delivery, admission to neonatal care unit, birth weight, gender, early neonatal death, intrauterine death, the intrauterine fetal restriction was measured in both groups. Results: Among majority of gestational diabetic mothers regarding to maternal age 33.5% were aged between 18-35 years, 16.5% were older than 35, the most common complications in gestational diabetes group which were statistically significant were hypoglycemia, polycythemia and respiratory distress( 17.5%, 13% and 20% respectively) , neonatal macrosomia were revealed in 22.5% of gestational diabetes mellitus neonates and only 10% in non- gestational diabetes mellitus revealed, Conclusion: Morbidities like hypoglycemia, macrosomia, polycythemia, and respiratory distress syndrome are more common among babies of diabetic mothers when compared to those of non-diabetic mothers, and they are the most common complications that were observed.