Hypertrichosis Pinnae and Maternal Diabetes Mellitus

A boy was born to a gravida 2, para 1, 26-year-old woman at 37 weeks' gestation. The pregnancy had been complicated by gestational diabetes.

The infant was delivered vaginally; Apgar scores were 6 at 1 minute and 9 at 5 minutes. Birth weight was 3.9 kg (8.6 lb); length, 52.5 cm (20.7 in). At birth, the newborn was plethoric; a moon face and hairy ears, or hypertrichosis pinnae, were noted. The neonatal course was unremarkable, except for mild hypoglycemia that responded to frequent feedings with glucose water in addition to breast-feeding. Neonatal hypoglycemia is a known complication of maternal diabetes mellitus.

Drs Alexander K. C. Leung and Massoud Rafaat of Calgary, Alberta, write that this infant's hairy ears were attributable to maternal diabetes mellitus. The hair generally falls out during infancy or childhood. Hypertrichosis pinnae also may be hereditary or idiopathic.