title: Influence of maternal diabetes mellitus on fetal iron status.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the effects of maternal diabetes on fetal iron status using serum transferrin receptors (STfR) and their ratio to ferritin (TfR-F index) in cord blood.
  
  
  METHODS
  Iron, ferritin, erythropoietin, STfR and haemoglobin concentration were measured and TfR-F index calculated in 97 maternal/cord blood pairs. Forty-nine women had type 1 diabetes (diagnosed before pregnancy) and these were compared with forty-eight non- diabetic controls. The women with type 1 diabetes were recruited consecutively from attendance at the joint antenatal endocrine clinic while the control group of women was recruited from consecutive attendance at the remaining antenatal clinics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The infants of the diabetic women had significantly lower levels of ferritin (47 vs 169 mug/l; p<0.01) and higher STfR (17.4 vs 12.9 mg/l; p<0.01) and TfR-F index (10.4 vs 5.8; p<0.01) than controls. They were also significantly more acidotic at birth (7.25 vs 7.30; p<0.01), were born at an earlier gestation (36.7 vs 39.7 weeks; p<0.01) and had higher z Scores for weight (0.53 vs 0.02; p = 0.016).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Maternal diabetes causes depletion of fetal iron stores and is associated with higher fetal iron demands as indicated by higher STfR level and TfR-F index in cord blood.
authors.affiliation: Regional Neonatal Unit, Royal Maternity Hospital, Grosvenor Road, Belfast BT12 6BB, Northern Ireland.
authors.forename: Alison Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Verner
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Manderson
authors.forename: Terrence R J
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Lappin
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: McCance
authors.forename: Henry L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Halliday
authors.forename: David G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Sweet
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007501:Iron / Q000032:analysis*; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange / Q000502:physiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011254:Pregnancy in Diabetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D011990:Receptors, Transferrin; D004921:Erythropoietin; D005293:Ferritins; D007501:Iron