Fatty Acid Ethyl Esters in Meconium of Infants of Diabetic Mothers: a Pilot Trial

Overview

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) affects as many as 14% of women in the United States. Furthermore, the number of pregnant women with pregestational diabetes mellitus (PGDM) is also increasing, mainly due to an increase in the diagnosis of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. A recent study demonstrated that 1.3% of pregnancies are now complicated by PGDM and that PGDM now comprises 21% of the diabetes that complicate gestations, which represents a two fold increase since 1999. One notable side effect of diabetes is an elevation of endogenous ethanol production, which in turn may result in a rise in fetal production of fatty acid ethyl ester (FAEE). FAEE found in meconium have been utilized as a marker of prenatal ethanol exposure. Therefore, FAEE elevation could call into question maternal claims of abstinence from alcohol during pregnancy. This study seeks to determine if meconium FAEE levels in the newborns of abstinent women with various classifications of diabetes mellitus are increased when compared to non-diabetic, abstaining controls.

Researchers will approach four groups of pregnant women at 24-26 weeks when they present for routine obstetrical out-patient appointments: 1. Those with PGDM 2. Those with White's Class A1 GDM 3. Those with White's Class A2 GDM 4. Non-diabetic controls The medical records of these women will be examined to determine self-reporting of any alcohol or other drug usage while pregnant; women who report any illicit drug use (or ethanol use) while pregnant will not be eligible for this study. A routine urine drug screen will further confirm this finding. Women who have not reported alcohol use during their pregnancy will be questioned regarding medication usage while pregnant, as some medications do contain small amounts of ethanol. Women who are judged to have not consumed alcohol during their pregnancies (intentionally or incidentally) would then be included in the study. Demographic information about the mother would also be collected (age, parity, length of pregnancy), as would the mother's most recent glycosylated hemoglobin level; additionally, a glycosylated hemoglobin level will be drawn on our presumptive controls (to allow for covert gestational diabetes mellitus). This lab draw would be added to the mother's routine lab studies and would not require an additional venipuncture. A second urine drug screen will be performed on the mother upon her admission to the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center for the delivery of her baby. If both screens are negative and the baby does not meet any of the exclusion criteria, the baby will be enrolled in the study. The initial meconium from each baby of the recruited mothers will be gathered. Approximately 1 g of meconium will be collected, frozen, and evaluated for fatty acid ethyl ester analysis at the United States Drug Testing Laboratories, Inc. We will also be sending a dried blood spot from the baby which will be collected at the time of the baby's scheduled newborn screen. This dried blood spot will be evaluated for phosphatidylethanol, an ethanol by-product.