Abstract
The objectives of this study were to estimate the burden of diabetes and to explore the adverse pregnancy outcomes associated with pregestational diabetes mellitus (pre-GDM) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) among the Saudi pregnant population. In this subcohort, we compared the maternal and the neonatal outcomes of diabetic women with pre-GDM and GDM to the outcomes of nondiabetic mothers who delivered during the same period. From the total cohort, 9723 women participated in this study. Of the participants, 24.2% had GDM, 4.3% had pre-GDM, and 6951 were nondiabetic. After adjustment for confounders, women with GDM had increased odds of delivering a macrosomic baby (OR: 1.6; 95% CI: 1.2-2.1). Women with pre-GDM were more likely to deliver by Cesarean section (OR: 1.65; CI: 1.32-2.07) and to have preterm delivery < 37 weeks (OR: 2.1; CI: 1.5-2.8). Neonates of mothers with pre-GDM were at increased risk of being stillbirth (OR: 3.66; CI: 1.98-6.72), at increased risk of admission to NICU (OR: 2.21; CI: 1.5-3.27), and at increased risk for being macrosomic (OR: 2.40; CI: 1.50-3.8). The prevalence of GDM and pre-GDM in the Saudi pregnant population is among the highest in the world. The conditions are associated with high maternal and neonatal morbidities and mortalities.