Sarcouncil Journal of Internal Medicine and Public Health

Abstract: This current study aimed to measure the maternal Spexin and ghrelin levels, as well as to assess the extent of impact of ghrelin and Spexin factors on maternal and neonatal outcomes, where enrolled data of 100 samples for pregnancies with term deliveries at the obstetrics department in different hospitals in Iraq, during a 12-month follow-up from April 2024 to April 2025. Based on the goal of the study, we determined the ghrelin levels and Spexin levels of mothers who participated in the study, as well as estimated all maternal and neonatal outcomes, including birth weight and bilirubin level. The current biochemical outcomes showed Spexin with 2.2 ± 0.7 (ng/mL), ghrelin with 851 ± 321 (pg/mL), and fasting glucose with 85.4 ± 9.4 (mg/dL), where preeclampsia got 8% and gestational diabetes got 12%. According to neonatal clinical outcomes, we discovered that low birth weight (less than 2500 grams) had only a 7% rate, peak total bilirubin was 10.8 ± 2.9 mg/dL, and hyperbilirubinemia had 25 cases. The maternal outcomes found within maternal Spexin had 1.8 ± 0.4 (ng/mL), maternal ghrelin was 921 ± 351 (pg/mL), and maternal BMI was 29.7 ± 4.1 (kg/m²), while hyperbilirubinemia was found in neonatal with maternal ghrelin at 687 ± 280 (pg/mL). The levels of Spexin and BMI of mothers of macrosomic neonates were very low and much higher than those of the mothers of normal- or low-weight neonates. On the other hand, hyperbilirubinemia of neonates was associated with the birth of the mother, who had a very low concentration of ghrelin and an earlier gestational age. Our research proved that low maternal Spexin, maternal BMI, and GDM were significant independent predictors of high birth weight. In the case of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia, the best independent risk factors were low maternal ghrelin and low gestational age. Moreover, Spexin had a negative correlation with maternal BMI and fasting glucose and was at significantly lower levels in GDM mothers.