Impact of Gestational Diabetes mellitus (GDM) on Neonatal Outcome among Newborns Admitted to a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Introduction: Impact of GDM on neonatal outcome is unclear. Purpose: To determine the effect of maternal GDM on mortality and morbidity among newborns admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Methods: Historical cohort study. Exposed: Sixty-one newborns of women with GDM admitted to NICU (1998-2001). Controls: Sixty-one newborns of non-diabetic women. A matched (gestational age, gender, ethnicity, year of birth) pairs analysis (1:1) was performed. Main outcome measures: Congenital malformations, macrosomia, major neonatal morbidities and in-hospital mortality. Relative risks and 95% confidence limits were calculated for each variable. Results: No significant differences were observed for mortality (RR=1, p=0.683), incidence of congenital malformations (RR=0.4, p=0.131), macrosomia (RR=not calculable, 6.6% vs 0), perinatal asphyxia (RR=0.78, p=0.453), respiratory distress syndrome (RR=0.5, p=0.099), patent ductus arteriosus (RR=2.5, p=0.45), ischemic/hemorragic brain injury (RR=0.5, p=0.182), bronchopulmonary dysplasia (RR=2, p=0.683), and retinopathy of prematurity (RR=3, p=0.617). Conclusion: GDM did not influence significantly mortality and morbidity in our study population.