Pattern and Frequency of Congenital Heart Defects Among Infants of Diabetic Mothers

Background Maternal diabetes mellitus (DM) is a known risk factor for congenital heart diseases (CHDs), which are of significant concern to infants born to diabetic mothers. Compared to newborns born to non-diabetic mothers, infants born to diabetic mothers had a higher overall risk of developing congenital malformations. This association has a complex pathophysiology that includes genetic predispositions, metabolic abnormalities, and environmental factors during key stages of fetal development. By developing screening strategies for neonates born to diabetic mothers, it will be imperative to reduce preventable neonatal mortality by healthcare providers. Purpose The primary objective of this study was to explore the spectrum of congenital heart defects (infants of diabetic mothers, IDMs). Methods This exploratory study was conducted at the maternity and children's hospital in AlAhsa, Saudi Arabia, from 2022 to 2023. The study included 401 neonates delivered at our institution. Within the first seven days of life, an expert pediatric cardiologist from the same institute performed echocardiography on all patients. Results A total of 401 infants born to diabetic mothers were selected, with 293 meeting the inclusion criteria. In total, 144 (49.1%) were boys and 149 (50.9%) were girls. Nearly more than half of mothers (189, 64.5%) had gestational diabetes, while 104 (35.5%) had pre-gestational diabetes. Out of 293 infants born to diabetic mothers, 200 (68.3%) had various CHDs, while the remaining 93 (31.7%) were found to be normal after echocardiography. The most commonly reported CHD is patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) (71.5%), followed by hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (36.5%) and ventricular septal defect (VSD) (11%), and only one patient has a complex congenital heart disease. Conclusion More than half of the infants born to diabetic mothers had congenital heart defects, according to the current study, which examined the various types of congenital heart diseases in neonates of diabetic mothers. It thus emphasizes the necessity of a thorough evaluation and the strong recommendation for an early diagnosis of CHD in this high-risk group. In our population, prenatal CHD screening programs need to be developed.