Maternal and neonatal outcomes in pregnancies affected by gestational diabetes mellitus in Najaf, Iraq
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37800/RM.2.2026.765Keywords:
Gestational diabetes mellitus , pregnancy outcomes, neonatal outcomes, macrosomia, NICU admissionAbstract
Relevance: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is among the most frequent metabolic disorders encountered during pregnancy, with the potential to compromise outcomes for both the mother and the neonate.
The study aimed to assess maternal and neonatal outcomes among women with GDM and to compare them by treatment received.
Materials and Methods: Pregnant women with GDM who gave birth at a tertiary care facility in Najaf, Iraq, were included in this retrospective cohort study. GDM was diagnosed using a one-step 75-g oral glucose tolerance test interpreted according to the World Health Organization 2013 criteria. Data on maternal characteristics, treatment modalities, and pregnancy outcomes were obtained from medical records. Neonatal outcomes, including birth weight, metabolic complications, and admission to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), were also analyzed. The chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test was used to compare categorical outcomes, and relationships were reported as unadjusted odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs); p-values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant.
Results: Among 200 women with GDM, 120 (60%) were managed with dietary and lifestyle modifications, while 80 (40%) required insulin therapy. Women receiving insulin had significantly higher rates of cesarean delivery, preeclampsia, preterm birth, and polyhydramnios. Neonatal hypoglycemia and NICU hospitalization were more common among their neonates, who also had larger birth weights. Macrosomia and respiratory distress syndrome followed a similar pattern.
Conclusions: GDM-complicated pregnancies are associated with increased risk of adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes, especially during the early peripartum period, but also later. The increased risk among women treated with insulin was probably due to more severe hyperglycemia rather than to any adverse effect of insulin per se. Therefore, timely identification of GDM, individualized glycemic management, and vigilant antenatal surveillance, supplemented with lifestyle modifications, are crucial to reduce the burden of GDM-related morbidity.
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Copyright (c) 2026 S.R.M. Hussein , A.M. Abdali , A.I. Aasam , A.J.M. Nasrawi
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