The usefulness of plasma asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) levels and tissue doppler echocardiography for heart function in term infants born to mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine whether asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) concentrations are associated with ventricular function in the infants of mothers with gestational diabetes. Method: Twenty-five term newborns of mothers with gestational diabetes and term newborns as the control group (n=25) with normal general health status were evaluated at two time points, on the 3rd postnatal day, at the 3th months. Echocardiographic evaluations of all participants were performed and ADMA level was measured. Results: In the first analysis, 10 patients (40%) had a septal thickness of 6mm or more, indicating septal hypertrophy. In the first and second analysis, interventricular septum end-diastolic thickness (IVSTd) and the left ventricular posterior wall end-diastolic thickness (LVPWTd) in the patient group were higher than the control group. ADMA level measurement was not significantly different between the groups the first and second analysis. There was no difference in ADMA levels of the group with septal thickness >= 6mm and the group with <6 mm. Conclusion: Newborn cardiac wall thickness was increased in pregnancies complicated by Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), and the increase was independent of glycemic control. Diastolic newborn cardiac function was impaired in GDM, and this effect was independent of septal thickness. We found no association between ADMA levels and cardiac systolic, diastolic functions or septum thickness in the GDM newborn.