Investigation of iron deficiency status in the newborns of gestational diabetes mellitus women

Abstract

To investigate the iron status in the newborns of maternal gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) women, and explore the mechanism of iron deficiency in these newborns. From June 2008 to October 2011, 64 GDM women (GDM group) and 71 healthy pregnant women (control group) who delivered in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical College and their newborns were studied prospectively. Serum ferritin (SF), serum transferrin receptor (sTfR), erythropoietin (Epo), haemoglobin (Hb), serum level of insulin and plasma glucose in cord blood was measured. The neonatal birth weight (BW) and birth weight Z Score (WAZ) was recorded. The concentrations of serum fasting insulin (FINS), fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were tested for all the women before delivery. In the GDM group, the cord blood sTfR, Epo and serum level of insulin was (42 ± 10) nmol/L, (56 ± 41) U/L and (18 ± 5) U/L, respectively. While in the control group, these were (35 ± 8) nmol/L, (41 ± 43) U/L and (10 ± 5) U/L, respectively. The cord blood sTfR, Epo and serum level of insulin in the GDM group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). The cord blood SF in the GDM group [(60 ± 36) µg/L] was significantly lower than that of the control group [(146 ± 38) µg/L, P < 0.01]. The neonatal BW and WAZ in the GDM group [(3615 ± 538) g and 0.558] were significantly higher than those in the control group [(3449 ± 423) g and 0.224, P < 0.05]. No significant difference was found in the cord blood plasma glucose and Hb between the GDM group [(3.3 ± 1.0) mmol/L and (181 ± 18) g/L] and the control group [(3.0 ± 0.8) mmol/L and (176 ± 16) g/L, P > 0.05]. The FINS and HbA1c of the GDM group [(12.5 ± 5.0) U/L and (6.5 ± 0.7)%] were significantly higher than those in the control group [(10.9 ± 4.3) U/L and (5.3 ± 0.7)%, P < 0.05]. The FPG of the GDM group and the control group were (5.3 ± 1.2) and (5.0 ± 1.0) mmol/L, respectively, with no statistically significant difference (P > 0.05). Maternal GDM may related to the iron deficiency of the newborns.