Title The Relationship between Gestational Diabetes Metabolic Control and Fetal Autonomic Regulation, Movement and Birth Weight.
Author Zollkau, Janine; Swiderski, Laura; Schmidt, Alexander; Weschenfelder, Friederike; Groten, Tanja; Hoyer, Dirk; Schneider, Uwe
Journal J Clin Med Publication Year/Month 2021-Jul
PMID 34362160 PMCID PMC8348724
Affiliation + expend 1.Department of Obstetrics, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University, 07747 Jena, Germany.

(1) Background: Maternal metabolic control in gestational diabetes is suggested to influence fetal autonomic control and movement activity, which may have fetal outcome implications. We aimed to analyze the relationship between maternal metabolic control, fetal autonomic heart rate regulation, activity and birth weight. (2) Methods: Prospective noninterventional longitudinal cohort monitoring study accompanying 19 patients with specialist clinical care for gestational diabetes. Monthly fetal magnetocardiography with electro-physiologically-based beat-to-beat heart rate recording for analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) and the \'fetal movement index\' (FMI) was performed. Data were compared to 167 healthy pregnant women retrieved from our pre-existing study database. (3) Results: Fetal vagal tone was increased with gestational diabetes compared to controls, whereas sympathetic tone and FMI did not differ. Within the diabetic population, sympathetic activation was associated with higher maternal blood-glucose levels. Maternal blood-glucose levels correlated positively with birth weight z scores. FMI showed no correlation with birth weight but attenuated the positive correlation between maternal blood-glucose levels and birth weight. (4) Conclusion: Fetal autonomic control is altered by gestational diabetes and maternal blood-glucose level, even if metabolic adjustment and outcome is comparable to healthy controls.

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