Clinical Study on the Influence of Blood Glucose Level During Pregnancy on Neonatal Heart Development

To explore the link between prenatal blood glucose levels and neonatal heart development.

From February 2023 to January 2024, a total of 100 pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and their newborns at the Third Hospital of Xingtai City were studied. They were divided into two groups based on blood glucose control: good control (n = 25) and poor control (n = 75). Another 50 healthy pregnant women and their newborns served as controls. We compared blood glucose levels including fasting blood glucose (FBG), 1-h postprandial blood glucose (1hBG), 2-h postprandial blood glucose (2hBG) and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), and neonatal cardiac function indicators, including left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), aortic root diameter (AO), PA diameter, left ventricular fractional shortening (LVFS), left atrial diameter (LA), right ventricular diameter (RV), interventricular septal thickness (IVS), left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LV), early diastolic peak velocity (E) and late diastolic peak velocity (A), among the three groups, analysed their correlations, and assessed adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Significant differences in HbA1c, FBG, 1hBG and 2hBG were found between groups at admission and before delivery (p < 0.05). The poorly controlled and well-controlled GDM groups had higher blood glucose levels than the controls. Neonates in the poorly controlled group had higher AO, PA, LA, LV, RV and IVS than the other groups (p < 0.05). Positive correlations were observed between blood glucose levels and AO, PA, IVS (p < 0.05). Adverse outcomes, including polyhydramnios, premature rupture of membranes, postpartum haemorrhage, intrauterine distress, hyperbilirubinaemia and neonatal asphyxia, were more frequent in GDM groups (p < 0.05).

Elevated prenatal blood glucose levels in GDM are associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes and neonatal heart development, with poor control having a more pronounced impact.