Electrocardiography and echocardiography findings in infants of diabetic mothers: A case-control study

Gestational diabetes leads to various complications for the fetus, including heart abnormalities, and injuries during childbirth. This study aimed to investigate the changes of electrocardiogram (ECG), and echocardiography parameters in infants of diabetic mothers compared with those of healthy mothers.

In this case-control study, 75 infants of mothers with controlled diabetes (case group) as well as 75 infants of healthy mothers (control group), who were born in Birjand Vali-e-Asr Hospital in 2021 were enrolled. ECG and echocardiography were performed for all infants, and the desired parameters (P, QT interval, QTd, QTc, QTcd, T, Tpe, heart rate (HR) as well as ejection fraction (EF), fractional shortening (FS), and IVSd) were measured.

The average QT interval and QTc parameters in the group of infants of diabetic mothers were higher than the healthy group (P≤0.01), while the average QTd in the infants of healthy mothers was higher than the infants of diabetic mothers (P=0.01). Furthermore, the average IVSd in the case group was higher than the control group (P=0.01). However, no differences in P, QTcd, T, TPe, HR, FS, EF, and heart axis parameters between the two groups were found (P>0.05).

In conclusion, significant differences between the infants of healthy mothers and those with gestational diabetes regarding the parameters of QT interval, QTd, QTc, and IVSd were found. However, no differences in P, QTcd, T, TPe, HR, FS, EF, and heart axis parameters between the two groups were found. Therefore, it is a clinical necessity to examine and screen the infants of diabetic mothers via ECG and echocardiography.