Certified Diabetes Educator Practice Exam 2025 - Free Practice Questions and Study Resource.

Macrosomia is a common metabolic complication in infants born to mothers with hyperglycemia, particularly those with gestational diabetes or pre-existing diabetes. When a mother has elevated blood glucose levels during pregnancy, the excess glucose can cross the placenta and stimulate insulin production in the fetus. This increased insulin response encourages fetal growth and fat deposition, leading to macrosomia, which is defined as a birth weight greater than 4,000 grams (approximately 8 pounds, 13 ounces).

The physiological mechanism behind this is that insulin acts as a growth hormone, promoting cellular growth and fat storage in the fetus. As a result, these infants may be larger than average at birth, which can lead to complications during delivery, such as shoulder dystocia or the need for cesarean delivery.

While the other conditions mentioned can occur in infants, they are not direct metabolic complications arising specifically from maternal hyperglycemia in the same way that macrosomia is. Hypotonia may result from various factors, including neonatal conditions, but it is not specifically related to maternal glucose levels. Hypoglycemia can occur after birth due to an overproduction of insulin prompted by maternal hyperglycemia, but it is less common than macrosomia as a direct complication. Jaundice can occur in