Gestational diabetes can increase the risk of which of the following complications in infants?

Gestational diabetes can significantly impact the health of both the mother and the infant during pregnancy. One of the key complications associated with gestational diabetes is shoulder dystocia.

Shoulder dystocia occurs when the baby's shoulder gets stuck behind the mother's pelvic bone during delivery. This condition is linked to gestational diabetes primarily due to the increased fetal size that often results from maternal hyperglycemia. As the mother’s blood sugar levels are elevated, the fetus tends to grow larger than average, leading to macrosomia, where the baby weighs more than 8 pounds, 13 ounces. This excessive growth can make vaginal delivery more complicated, heightening the chances of shoulder dystocia occurring.

While low birth weight can be a concern in some pregnancies, gestational diabetes typically leads to larger infants, not smaller. Congenital defects are associated with various maternal factors, but gestational diabetes doesn't directly correlate as a leading cause. Preterm labor can occur for a variety of reasons, but it isn't specifically increased by gestational diabetes in the same way that shoulder dystocia is.

Therefore, the relationship between gestational diabetes and shoulder dystocia highlights why this option is the most accurate in identifying a complication that can occur in infants due to gestational diabetes.