Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 28, 2025
Author Spotlight: Exploring the Long-Term Health Impacts of Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection on Offspring
Published on: May 17, 2024
Perinatal Outcomes in Infants of Mothers with Diabetes in Pregnancy
Arieh Riskin1,2, Omer Itzchaki2, David Bader1,2
1Department of Neonatology, Bnai Zion Medical Center, Haifa, Israel.
Insights
Pregnancy diabetes, including gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and pre-gestational diabetes mellitus (PGDM), significantly increases risks for newborns. Enhanced preconception care is crucial for reducing adverse perinatal outcomes in offspring.
Area of Science:
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Neonatology
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Rising global incidence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) parallels obesity and type 2 diabetes pandemics.
- Both GDM and pre-gestational diabetes mellitus (PGDM) pose short- and long-term risks to offspring.
- Limited recent data exists on neonatal outcomes for GDM and PGDM in Israel.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate and compare perinatal complications in neonates born to mothers with GDM and PGDM.
- To identify specific risks associated with diabetes in pregnancy for infant health outcomes.
Main Methods:
- A single-center, retrospective case-control study was conducted.
- Newborn outcomes were compared between mothers diagnosed with GDM or PGDM and a control group.
- 526 infants of diabetic mothers were matched with 526 randomly selected control infants born on the same dates.
Main Results:
- Women with GDM/PGDM had higher rates of pre-eclampsia, multiple pregnancies, and preterm deliveries.
- PGDM significantly increased risks for intrauterine fetal demise (4.3%), congenital anomalies (12.8%), and small-for-gestational-age neonates (10.6%).
- Offspring of diabetic mothers faced elevated risks of preterm/cesarean delivery, large-for-gestational-age neonates, respiratory morbidity, hypoglycemia, and polycythemia.
Conclusions:
- Diabetes in pregnancy (PGDM and GDM) remains linked to substantial offspring morbidities despite advanced prenatal care.
- Improved preconception and inter-pregnancy care strategies are essential for mitigating these risks.
- Targeted interventions may reduce the incidence of adverse perinatal outcomes in infants of mothers with diabetes.
Background:
The incidence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is increasing in parallel to the worldwide obesity and type 2 diabetes pandemic. Both GDM and pre-gestational diabetes mellitus (PGDM) are associated with short- and long-term consequences in the offspring. There are few recent studies addressing outcomes of newborns born to women diagnosed with GDM and PGDM in Israel.
Objectives:
To assess perinatal complications in offspring of women with GDM and PGDM.
Methods:
The authors conducted a single-center retrospective case-control study of outcomes of all newborns whose mothers had been diagnosed with diabetes in pregnancy compared to randomly assigned controls born on the same date, whose mothers had no diabetes.
Results:
In the study period 2015-2017, 526 mothers diagnosed with GDM or PGDM and their newborn infants were identified. The authors randomly assigned 526 control infants. The rate of women with diabetes in pregnancy was 5.0%. Mothers with GDM and PGDM had higher rates of pre-eclampsia, multiple pregnancies, and preterm deliveries. Mothers with PGDM had significantly higher rates of intrauterine fetal demise (4.3%), congenital anomalies (12.8%), and small-for-gestational-age neonates (10.6%) compared to controls (0%, 3.2%, and 4.2%, respectively, P < 0.001). The risks for preterm or cesarean delivery, large-for-gestational-age neonate, respiratory morbidity, hypoglycemia, and polycythemia were increased in offspring of mothers with diabetes, especially PGDM.
Conclusions:
Despite all the advancements in prenatal care, diabetes in pregnancy, both PGDM and GDM, is still associated with significant morbidities and complications in offspring. Better preconception and inter-pregnancy care might reduce these risks.
Related Concept Videos
01:20Pathophysiology of Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is characterized by autoimmune-mediated destruction of pancreatic β cells, with environmental factors potentially triggering this process in genetically susceptible individuals. Despite many not having a family history, certain genes increase susceptibility,...
01:22Diabetes Mellitus: Type 2 and Gestational
01:22Diabetes Mellitus: Overview and Type I Subtype
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. As a result, the body is unable to produce sufficient insulin, and individuals with...
01:15Diabetes: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Complications
01:36Carbohydrate Metabolism
Starch accounts for approximately 60% of the carbohydrates consumed by humans. Since amylase enzymes cannot function in the stomach's acidic environment, starch can only be digested in the mouth and small intestine. Simple sugars are found naturally in milk and fruits in...
01:07Teratogenicity