why does diabetes affect the lung surfactant of the fetus?

Question

Neonate born at 38 weeks getsation with RDS by elective cesearean section.Mother has poorly controlled diabetes, how could this affect the lung surfactant?

Answer 1

I don't think that the answer to that is well-understood, just as diabetic mothers have also been associated to giving birth to children with transposition of the great arteries (aorta and pulmonary trunk) onto the opposite cardiac ventricles. It probably has something to do with dysfunction/derailment of normal anatomical/physiological development by the abnormally high levels of glucose in circulation, which have long been known to cause damage to metabolically-sensitive tissues, such as the brain, or a fetus.

Answer 2

It shouldn't but the c-section may be the cause of the RDS. It will improve usually over a day or two. The baby's blood glucose/ feeding will need close monitoring though!