The Relationship of Umbilical Vein Diameter to Fetal Macrosomia in Women with Pre gestational Diabetes Compared to Non Diabetics

Abstract

Background: In pregnancies complicated by fetal macrosomia and diabetes, there is an increase in umbilical vein blood flow (UVBF) alongside a reduction in impedance to blood flow in the uterine and umbilical arteries. Aim: The study aims at evaluating the relationship between umbilical vein diameter and diabetes mellitus (DM) in pregnancies with fetal macrosomia. Subjects and methods: An observational cross-sectional study was conducted at Suez Canal University Hospitals, focusing on pregnant women with singleton macrosomic fetuses between 36-37 weeks. Two groups were formed: group (1) included pregnant women with pre-gestational diabetes and macrosomic fetuses, while group (2) involved pregnant non-diabetic women with macrosomic fetuses. Both groups underwent an umbilical vein Doppler assessment to measure umbilical vein diameter. Results: The diabetic group exhibited a significantly higher mean umbilical vein diameter compared to the non-diabetic group (1±(0.09) cm and 0.86±(0.04) cm; P < 0.001). No significant difference was observed in the time average maximum velocity between the two groups. Conclusion: The study concludes that umbilical vein diameter increases in macrosomic pregnancies with pre-gestational diabetes by approximately 14% compared to non-diabetic macrosomic pregnancies.