Excess and low body weight at birth in diabetic-mother infants

Introduction: the child of a diabetic mother (CDM) can suffer alterations during pregnancy by this maternal disease. When it appears in the second half of gestation, we talk of diabetic foetopathy, which is more frequent in women with uncontrolled metabolic and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Age, parity, obesity, weight gain during pregnancy, degree of glucose intolerance, among others, can influence fetal growth determinants. The research sought to understand the relationship of these factors with birth weight. Objective: to identify modifiable factors, which increase the frequency of newborns with appropriate weight for gestational age in diabetic pregnant women. Methods: results are analyzed in 2 038 live births born from diabetic mothers (350 diabetic pre-gestational and diabetic gestational 1 688), during 14 years. Results: occurrence of excess neonatal weight was 11.83%, its reduction was achieved, but with no increase in weight. No significant differences were observed in the frequency of excess body weight among pre-gestational and gestational diabetic patients. Neonatal overweight is associated with parity, maternal prepregnancy overweight, excessive weight gain and degree of metabolic control during pregnancy. Underweight was associated with low maternal weight before pregnancy, gestational hypertensive disease and mother vascular glomerular injury. Conclusion: the excess or low weights in infants in relation with their gestational age were associated with different risk factors.