THE BODY COMPOSITION OF NEWBORN INFANTS OF DIABETIC MOTHERS

Abstract

Studies on the body composition of new born infants of diabetic mothers (diabetic infants) are reported. Birth weight and length, total body water, water compartments, body fat, osseous maturity, and urinary excretion of water, electrolytes and nitrogen were determined in newborn infants of diabetic mothers, and for comparison in normal full-term infants (normal infants) and new-born infants of the same gestational age as the first group, but born to nondiabetic mothers (control infants). Infants of diabetic mothers must be characterized as infants whose maturity in terms of development of ossification centers, excretion of water, electrolytes and nitrogen, and other organ functions corresponds to their chronologic age, or even less. Besides they are grossly overweight on account of a surplus of fat, and to a lesser degree, of carbohydrate stores in tissues and organs. The combination of premature organ functions, increased fat content and water release on account of breakdown of protein and carbohydrate stores after birth, may be major factors in the neonatal pulmonary syndrome exhibited by infants of diabetic mothers. Discussing the influence of glucose plus insulin, growth hormone and adrenal cortical steroids upon the body composition, the authors conclude that the changes found in newborn infants of diabetic mothers may be due primarily to maternal hyperglycemia.