Evaluation of umbilical cord arterial blood gas analysis in gestational diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) represents glucose levels in the high end of the population distribution during pregnancy. GDM carries a high risk of adverse outcomes such as perinatal outcomes and a longer-term risk of obesity and glucose intolerance in offspring. Mothers with GDM have an excess of hypertensive disorders during pregnancy and a high risk of diabetes mellitus after that. This study aimed to evaluatethe influence of hypoxia status, haematological parameters, cord blood lactate, and birth weight of infants on GDM and its complications. The study was conducted on 100 pregnant women having Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM), and the control population consists of 50 normal pregnancies. Samples included in this study were foetal cord blood and maternal blood. Parameters such as blood gases, lactate, haemoglobin, RBC count, red cell indices, and fetal birth weight were determined. No suggestive changes were found in pH of GDM neonates when compared to the healthy foetus.GDM offspring, when compared to the normal, showed a significant decrease in pO2 and pCO2.A relative reduction in O2saturation and O2 content in GDM foetus when compared to a healthyfoetus. Lactate level is significantly increased in GDM neonates when correlated to the control group. There is a striking change in haemoglobin, RBC count, total WBC count, MCV and MCH in GDM. The results also suggest a correlation of cord blood Hb, cord blood PCV and Cord blood pO2 with the birth weight of infants. Lower oxygen saturation and oxygen content and increased lactate concentrations in offspring of GDM mothers indeed emulate intensified fetal metabolism as an outcome of hyperglycaemia and hyperinsulinemia, and therefore these fetuses demandconstant supervision at term and during delivery. Keywords: Gestational diabetes mellitus, Umbilical arterial cord blood, Hypoxic-ischemic event.