Adverse perinatal outcomes complicated with gestational diabetes mellitus in preterm mothers and preterm infants.

The incidence rate of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in pregnancy is currently on the increase. GDM is associated with short and long-term adverse outcomes for mothers, fetuses and newborns. The aim of the present study was to compare the incidence of adverse perinatal outcomes in women with and without GDM, in addition to comparing the morbidity and mortality rates of preterm infants born to women with and without GDM. A retrospective analysis of 640 preterm infants admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Qilu Hospital of Shandong University (Qingdao, China) between January 2019 and December 2020 was undertaken in the present study. According to mothers with or without GDM, the preterm infants were divided into the GDM group (n=217) and non-GDM group (n=423). Women with GDM were older (P<0.01) and more of advanced maternal age (≥35 years) or multipara (P<0.001), tended to have an increased risk of gestational hypertension (P<0.05), placenta previa (P<0.005) and polycystic ovarian syndrome (P<0.05). In infants born preterm, those born from mothers with GDM were associated with an increased risk of respiratory distress syndrome (P<0.001) and sepsis (P<0.05). In addition, very low birth weight infants born to mothers with GDM were found to have an increased risk of hypoglycemia (P<0.05) and sepsis (P<0.05). In the logistic regression analysis, RDS was the only condition independently associated with GDM [adjusted odds ratio: 1.699 (95% confidence interval: 1.699-1.699)]. However, there was no significant difference in the risk of mortality among the two groups. In conclusion, data from the present study suggested that GDM is associated with a higher risk of adverse perinatal outcomes in pregnant women and a higher risk of adverse neonatal outcomes in infants born preterm.