Abstract:
Objective: The objective of this study is to assess the variables linked to the occurrence of newborn respiratory distress syndrome in babies born to mothers with diabetes.
Methods: This cross-sectional was conducted at the obstetrics and gynecology department of PortSaid Maternity Hospital from February 2022 to March 2023.We recruited diabetic mothers according to predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Eligible women were subjected to proper history and examination and obstetric ultrasound for fetal scan. After birth, the evaluation of each newborn included the need for neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admissions, the Apgar score and the incidence of respiratory distress syndrome.

Results: The current study recruited 103 diabetic women who gave birth at our institute. The mean age of the studied population was 25.9 ± 4.5 years. The mean gestational age at birth was 36.8 ± 1.3 weeks. Cesarean section was performed for a proportion of the participants 51/103 (49.5%). Neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) and NICU admission occurred in 43/103 (41.7%) neonates. Using regression analysis, increased parity, fetal weight, and Apgar score were significant factors predicting the occurrence of RDS (p-value 0.011, 0.006, and 0.0001, respectively).

Conclusion: The occurrence of neonatal RDS is common in infants born to mothers with diabetes. The variables of parity, fetal weight, and Apgar score demonstrated a substantial association with the occurrence of newborn respiratory distress syndrome.
Keywords: diabetes; pregnancy, respiratory distress prediction