FREQUENCY OF CONGENITAL HEART DISEASES IN NEWBORNS BORN TO MOTHERS WITH GESTATIONAL DIABETES ADMITTED TO THE NICU OF LOS ÁNGELES MATERNAL AND CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL, 2019–2023

Abstract

Gestational diabetes mellitus is defined as glucose intolerance first diagnosed during pregnancy and is associated with several maternal and fetal complications, including cardiovascular malformations. This study aimed to compare the frequency of congenital heart diseases in newborns born to mothers with gestational diabetes and to non-diabetic mothers. This was an observational, descriptive, cross-sectional, retrospective study conducted with newborns diagnosed with congenital heart diseases admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of a maternal and child hospital between 2019 and 2023. Incomplete medical records, preterm newborns, those with other congenital malformations, and those with low Apgar scores were excluded. Data were collected using clinical records, with convenience sampling, and statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software. Of the 192 newborns identified with congenital heart diseases during the study period, 152 met the inclusion criteria, of whom 79.6% were born to mothers with gestational diabetes and 20.4% to non-diabetic mothers. A predominance of male sex was observed (62.5%), and the median maternal age of women with gestational diabetes was 37 years (p25: 36 – p75: 38). It is concluded that gestational diabetes is associated with a higher occurrence of congenital heart diseases in newborns.