In utero thrombosis and neonatal gangrene in an infant of a diabetic mother.

Abstract

We report an infant of a diabetic mother (IDM) with in utero brachial artery thrombosis and neonatal gangrene to illustrate that there may be an increased risk for arterial as well as venous thrombosis in IDMs. The diagnosis of brachial artery thrombosis was made by using Doppler sonography flow studies and was confirmed with autopsy. The postnatal period was complicated by aortic and mesenteric artery thrombosis, with subsequent necrotizing enterocolitis, renal infarction, and death. Gangrene of a limb presenting at birth is rare, with 32 individuals reported in the literature, including this patient. Twenty-two percent (7/32) of the infants with peripartum limb gangrene were IDMs. This implies a marked increase in arterial thrombosis in IDMs over the general population. Changes in coagulation factors have been reported in newborn IDMs with poor control of maternal diabetes. Increased clotting and decreased fibrinolysis found in diabetics may lead to arterial thrombosis in IDMs in utero and postnatally. Use of anticoagulants in at-risk infants should be considered to prevent further thrombosis postnatally. Additionally, IDMs may be at increased risk for thrombotic complications from umbilical artery catheter. In utero thrombosis of the brachial artery may be one mechanism which leads to limb reduction defects in IDMs.