Gestational and Pregestational Diabetes Mellitus in Omani Women: Comparison of obstetric and perinatal outcomes.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and pregestational diabetes mellitus (PGDM) among pregnant women in Oman and compare their obstetric and perinatal outcomes.

METHODS: This retrospective study assessed the obstetric and perinatal outcomes of pregnant Omani women with GDM or PGDM who delivered at the Sultan Qaboos University Hospital in Muscat, Oman, between January 2009 and December 2010.

RESULTS: There were a total of 5,811 deliveries during the study period. Of the 5,811 women who gave birth, 639 women were found to have diabetes mellitus (11.0%). A total of 581 of the diabetic women had GDM (90.9%) and only 58 (9.1%) had PGDM. Women with PGDM had a significantly higher incidence of pre-eclampsia (P = 0.022), preterm deliveries (P <0.001) and Caesarean sections (P <0.001). Neonatal complications, such as respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), neonatal hypoglycaemia, neonatal jaundice and subsequent admission to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) were significantly higher for neonates born to mothers with PGDM compared to those born to mothers with GDM (P <0.001). The corrected perinatal mortality rates for women with PGDM and GDM were 34.5 and 13.7 per 1,000 live births, respectively.

CONCLUSION: In this Omani cohort, women with PGDM were at higher risk of developing obstetric and perinatal complications such as pre-eclampsia, preterm delivery and Caesarean delivery compared to women with GDM. In addition, neonates who had mothers with PGDM had higher rates of RDS, neonatal hypoglycaemia, neonatal jaundice and admission to the NICU.