Histopathological Changes of Umbilical Cord in Diabetic Pregnancy

Total of seventy five (75) umbilical cords with placenta were collected within 37 th to 41th weeks of gestation from Aljalaa Maternity Hospital at Tripoli city. Out of them (25) cords were from non-diabetic pregnant women (control group) (25) cords from pregnancies with pregestational diabetes mellitus (PGDM group) and (25) cords with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM group). After proper fixation with 10% buffered formalin tissues from a particular area of umbilical cord processed for histological study by routine procedure. All the slides were examined under light microscope. Morphometrical study measured umbilical cords diameter with a vernier caliper; area circumference and volume were measured by computerized micrometric method in millimeters respectively. The length of umbilical cords with still attached to the placentae are measured with an elastic tap measure in centimeters and weight on electronic scale in grams. Number of the umbilical vessels were examined and counted on the cut surface of the cords and later confirmed by histological examinations.