[Fetal lung maturity delayed on diabetic pregnancies]

To determine the fetal lung maturity in a group of pregnant patients complicated by gestational diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance, metabolic controlled patients, as well as to identify the modifications of the phospholipids lung profile by effect of antenatal steroids.

231 pregnant patients were included in an observational, longitudinal, clinical and descriptive study from January 1st 2000 to April 30th 2003. All those included presented gestational diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance according to the criteria of Carpenter. The metabolic control was demonstrated by means of glycosylated hemoglobin figures minor to 6.5%, and glucose monitoring (<95 mg/dL before meals and < 120 mg/dL two hours after each meal). The amniocentesis was performed just before the use of antenatal steroids and 48 hours after. The phospholipids lung profile was performed applying the Hallman and Kulovich method.

By means of the Student's t-test non significant results were obtained for the general characteristics of both groups, except for the evolution of the phospholipids lung profile in the post-treatment group with antenatal steroids. As for the evolution of the fractions in the profile of the weekly phospholipids, an ANOVA test was applied with a p < 0.001 coefficient of statistical significance for the phosphatidylglycerol fraction.

Delay of fetal lung maturity was shown in all the fractions of the phospholipids lung profile. In the group of patients with pregnancies of 36 weeks or more there was shown no correspondence among gestational age and the state of fetal lung maturity (60.75%), in comparison to that reported in existing literature. There were not reported cases of respiratory distress syndrome in the newborns.