Infants of Diabetic Mothers and Associated Complications in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Background The incidence of pregnancy-associated diabetes has increased in recent decades, leading to neonatal adverse outcomes like metabolic and hematologic disorders, respiratory distress, cardiac disorders, and neurologic impairment. Macrosomia, a common consequence of diabetes, is influenced by maternal blood glucose levels, impacting adverse neonatal outcomes. Aim The current study aimed to assess the neonatal and maternal outcomes of the infants of diabetic mothers. Methods An observational retrospective study was conducted among infants of diabetic mothers at Maternity and Children Hospital, Saudi Arabia, from 2022 to 2023. The data included socio-demographic details, diabetes-related information, and maternal and neonatal outcomes. Results A study of 400 mothers aged 18-40 years found that 54.3% had 1-4 previous pregnancies, while 35.5% had more than four. The majority had gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), with 25.5% having diabetes for more than five years. The most common complications were preeclampsia (7.5%), polyhydramnios (6%), UTI (5.3%), PROM (4.3%), and pregnancy-induced hypertension (4.3%). The majority had no complications, while 12.5% of neonates had respiratory and metabolic complications. Conclusion The study found that most women with gestational diabetes had previously been diagnosed with diabetes mellitus (DM) and are multiparous, with Caesarean delivery being the dominant mode. While maternal complications were seen in only less than one-third of mothers, neonatal complications were noted in 12.5%.