Assessment of the roles of ABO blood types and Rh factors in gestational diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Objective: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a leading causes of both maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality, the frequency of which is increasing gradually because of the increasing age and obesity of the pregnant woman. The aim of the present study was to evaluate ABO blood types and Rh factors and their roles in GDM prevalence. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted in the Obstetrics & Gynecology Clinic of Tuzla State Hospital. Between January 1, 2015 and May 1, 2021, 1017 pregnant women who were admitted to our clinic were evaluated according to the presence of GDM using the hospital database system. The ABO blood types and Rh factors were determined in all patients and GDM prevalence was compared among the groups. Results: The 1017 pregnant women had single- and double-step oral glucose tolerance tests and the ABO blood type results were included in the study. Of the 1017 women, 241 (23.70%) had GDM and 776 (76.30%) were normal. The mean maternal age of the group with GDM was 30.9±4.8 years and it was 27.8±5.4 years in the normal group, which was a statistically significant difference (p<0.001). Of the 1017 pregnant women, 474 (46.61%), 162 (15.93%), 316 (31.07%), and 65 (6.39%) had the blood types A, B, 0, and AB, respectively, with no difference observed among them in terms of the presence of GDM (p=0.592). There were 886 (87.12%) pregnant women in the Rh(+) group and 131 (12.88%) in the Rh(-) group; the groups were similar in terms of the presence of GDM (p=0.503). Conclusion: Our results indicated that ABO blood types and Rh factors were not risk factors for GDM.