Echocardiographic profile of infants of diabetic mothers.

Echocardiographic M-mode examinations were performed in 30 infants of diabetic mothers (IDM). Twelve of them had severe symptoms with hyperbilirubinemia, respiratory distress syndrome, septicemia and hypoglycemia in the neonatal period. The gestational age ranged from the 34th week to the 40th week, the birth weight ranging between 2280 g and 5820 g (mean 3455 g). Fifteen patients were restudied at different ages. In group A (age 1-14 days) out of 23, in group B (age 14 days-6 months) 5 from 13 IDM and in group C (older than 6 months, (n=10) no IDM had an increased ratio of intraventricular septal thickness (IVS) to left ventricular posterior wall thickness (LVPW). One patient showed a systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve (SAM) without having other symptoms for a left ventricular outflow tract obstruction. All measured dimensions normalized within 6 months. It is concluded that a form of prematurity may be responsible for the transient, asymmetrical, septal hypertrophy.