Comparison of fetal and neonatal cardiac morphology between the infants of mothers with well-controlled gestational diabetes mellitus and normal controls

OBJECTIVE: To compare fetal and neonatal cardiac morphology in fetuses of mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) with the controls. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Pregnant women at average risk of GDM underwent 100-g, 3-h-OGTT at 24-28 weeks of gestation for diagnosis of GDM. Both GDM group and the control group underwent fetal echocardiography at 32-36 weeks to assess cardiac dimensions. The neonates underwent echocardiography within 48 h after birth to assess cardiac morphology. RESULTS: A total of 154 pregnant women were recruited, including 60 in the GDM group and 94 in the control group. All of the study group were well controlled for GDM. Most baseline characteristics of both groups were comparable. All obstetric outcomes were not significantly different between the two groups. Morphological cardiac dimensions in the fetuses and newborns of both groups were also not significant different. Subgroup analysis in the study group showed no significantly different in cardiac morphology between the group with diet control and that of insulin control. CONCLUSION: Fetal and neonatal cardiac morphologic changes among mothers with well-controlled GDM are not significantly different from those in the controls. It is possible that good control of maternal blood glucose can prevent fetal and neonatal cardiac abnormalities.