A comparison of maternal and cord blood glucose levels in diabetic and non-diabetic Nigerians in relation to birth weight and maternal body mass index.

Maternal and cord blood glucose levels in diabetic multiparous Nigerian women were compared in relation to variable parameters such as birth weight, maternal body mass index (BMI), age and number of births, in order to ascertain the effect of diabetes on parity among women of pure Negro race. Pregnant women of pure Negro origin who were native to Nigeria or other African countries were selected for the study. The subjects were age-matched into three age groups of 20-24, 25-35, and 36 or over years, respectively and then were further divided into diabetics and non-diabetics following a 75 g OGTT. Umbilical cord blood and maternal blood samples were collected immediately after each delivery. The amount of glucose in blood was determined by means of Dextrostix reagent strips read in a glucometer. Birth weight, umbilical cord blood glucose and maternal blood glucose increased slightly with increasing age in the diabetics. There was no effect of age on umbilical cord and maternal blood glucose levels in non-diabetics. Maternal BMI also increased with age in the diabetics whereas it increased only slightly but not significantly at the age of 36 years and over in the non-diabetics. However, there was a slight increase in birth weight with increasing age among the non-diabetics. The correlation coefficients (r) of the relationship between maternal blood glucose and baby weight were +0.905 for the diabetic and +0.155 for non-diabetic groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)