Effect of Maternal Diabetes on Fetal Lung Maturation

The newborn of diabetic mothers are at a higher risk of hyaline membrane disease (HMD), the foremost cause of neonate death in industrialized countries (1). The etiology of HMD is inadequate pulmonary surfactant synthesis and the major risk factor is pre-term delivery, a frequent complication in diabetic pregnancy. Determination of fetal lung maturity in these women by evaluation of the “lung profile” in amniotic fluid is useful for avoiding iatrogenic lung immaturity. Most researchers agree that the presence of phosphatidylglycerol (PG) in amniotic fluid is associated with lung maturity. In normal pregnancy synthesis of this phospholipid begins at 35–36 weeks of amenorrhea but in pregnant diabetics fetal lung maturation may deviate from normal (2,3). The purpose of this study was to report our results on fetal lung maturation in women with pregnancy complicated by diabetes mellitus as compared to normal pregnant women.