Atherogenic Lipid Profile of Umbilical Cord Blood of Neonates of Gestational Diabetic Mother: A Case-Control Study

Abstract

Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a metabolic disorder that occurs during pregnancy and affects both the mother and the fetus. GDM can lead to adverse perinatal outcomes such as macrosomia, shoulder dystocia, neonatal hypoglycemia, polycythemia, hyperbilirubinemia, and congenital malformations. Moreover, GDM increases the risk of long-term complications in the offspring, such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Lipids are essential biomolecules that have various functions in the body, including energy storage, membrane structure and hormone synthesis. The concentration of lipids in the blood can be altered by maternal hyperglycemia and insulin resistance. The use of insulin or oral antidiabetic drugs can improve glycemic control and reduce the incidence of GDM-related complications, but the neonatal mortality rate remains higher than that of normal pregnancies. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of maternal diabetes on the lipid profile of umbilical cord blood of their neonates. Methods: We performed a prospective case-control study on 60 neonates delivered in our hospital. The cases were 30 infants born to mothers with GDM, and the controls were 30 infants born to mothers without GDM. We selected the participants randomly from the labor room. Results: We observed significant differences between the cases and the controls regarding lipid profile and birth weight. The cases had higher levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL-cholesterol in their cord blood than the controls. Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that maternal diabetes influences the lipid profile of cord blood in neonates. We also find a significant correlation between lipid profile and birth weight in infants of GDM mothers.