Frequency and Patterns of Congenital Heart Defects in Neonates of Diabetic Mothers at a Tertiary Care Hospital

Neonatal Heart Defects Linked to Maternal Diabetes

Authors

  • Fazal Rehman Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Bahawal Victoria Hospital, Quaid e Azam Medical College, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
  • Shahnaz Anwer Associate Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Bahawal Victoria Hospital, Quaid e Azam Medical College, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
  • Anwar Ul Haq Senior Registrar, Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Bahawal Victoria Hospital, Quaid e Azam Medical College, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
  • Iftikhar Ahmad Senior Registrar, Department of Pediatric Medicine, Bahawal Victoria Hospital, Quaid e Azam Medical College, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
  • Muhammad Adnan Zafar Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatric Medicine, Bahawal Victoria Hospital, Quaid e Azam Medical College, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
  • Umar Shafiq Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatric Medicine, Bahawal Victoria Hospital, Quaid e Azam Medical College, Bahawalpur, Pakistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51846/jucmd.v4i2.4058

Keywords:

Congenital Heart Defects, Gestational Diabetes, Neonatal Outcomes, Echocardiography, Maternal Hyperglycemia

Abstract

Objective: To assess the incidence and spectrum of Congenital Heart Defects (CHDs) in neonates born to mothers with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM), compared to those born to non-diabetic mothers.

Methodology: This retrospective comparative study was conducted at the Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Bahawal Victoria Hospital, Bahawalpur, over one year from September 2023 to September 2024. A total of 260 neonates were included and divided into two groups: 130 born to mothers with GDM and 130 to non-diabetic mothers. Inclusion required complete maternal antenatal and neonatal records. Neonates with syndromic features or known chromosomal anomalies were excluded. Maternal glycemic status was verified from antenatal clinic files, and CHD diagnosis was based on echocardiography performed within the first week of life. The frequency and types of CHDs were recorded and compared. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26.0, with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant.

Results: CHDs were significantly more common among neonates of diabetic mothers (15.4%) compared to non-diabetic mothers (4.6%) (p < 0.01). Patent foramen ovale (PFO) and atrial septal defect (ASD) were significantly higher in the diabetic group—10% vs. 3.1% and 11.5% vs. 3.8%, respectively. Although not statistically significant, increased frequencies of ventricular septal defect (VSD), patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), dextro-transposition of the great arteries (dTGA), and tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) were also noted in neonates of diabetic mothers.

Conclusion:Neonates born to mothers with GDM are at a significantly higher risk of developing congenital heart defects, emphasizing the need for early fetal cardiac evaluation and targeted postnatal screening in this high-risk group.

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Published

16-06-2025

How to Cite

1.
Rehman F, Shahnaz Anwer, Anwar Ul Haq, Iftikhar Ahmad, Muhammad Adnan Zafar, Umar Shafiq. Frequency and Patterns of Congenital Heart Defects in Neonates of Diabetic Mothers at a Tertiary Care Hospital: Neonatal Heart Defects Linked to Maternal Diabetes. J Univ Coll Med Dent. [Internet]. 2025 Jun. 16 [cited 2026 Mar. 29];4(2):144-50. Available from: https://testjournals.uol.edu.pk/index.php/jucmd/article/view/4058

Issue

Volume 4 Issue 2

Section

Original Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Fazal Rehman, Dr Shahnaz Anwer, Dr Anwar Ul Haq, Dr Iftikhar Ahmad, Dr Adnan Zafar, Dr Umar Shafiq

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