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Relationship between maternal fasting glucose levels at 4-12 gestational weeks and offspring growth and development

Ling Dong1, Enqing Liu, Jia Guo

  • 1Tianjin Women's and Children's Health Center, Tianjin, China.

Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice
|November 22, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Higher maternal glucose in early pregnancy is linked to altered infant growth. This includes larger birth size, slower early growth, and accelerated growth in later infancy.

Area of Science:

  • Perinatal Medicine
  • Pediatric Endocrinology
  • Public Health Nutrition

Background:

  • Maternal metabolic health during pregnancy significantly influences offspring development.
  • Early pregnancy glucose levels are a critical factor in fetal growth and subsequent child health.
  • Understanding these associations can inform interventions to improve long-term child outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between maternal fasting glucose levels in the first trimester (4-12 weeks gestation) and offspring anthropometry from birth to 12 months.
  • To assess how early maternal hyperglycemia impacts birth measurements and growth trajectories in infants.

Main Methods:

  • A large cohort study involving 57,454 pregnant women in Tianjin, China.
  • Maternal fasting glucose was measured during the first trimester.
  • Infant anthropometry (weight and length) was recorded from birth up to 12 months of age.

Main Results:

  • Maternal fasting glucose concentrations showed a positive association with Z scores for birth weight, birth length, birth weight-for-length, and birth body mass index (BMI).
  • Infants born to mothers with fasting glucose ≥126mg/dL exhibited higher birth anthropometric Z scores but lower weight and length for age Z scores at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months.
  • Distinct patterns of growth velocity were observed, with smaller changes in Z scores in the first 3 months and larger changes after 6 months for weight and BMI in infants of mothers with higher glucose levels.

Conclusions:

  • Elevated maternal fasting glucose in early pregnancy is associated with increased birth size.
  • This is followed by reduced weight and length gain in the first three months of life.
  • Accelerated weight gain is observed between 6 and 12 months of life in infants exposed to higher maternal glucose levels.
Abstract

Keywords:
Growth and developmentHyperglycemiaInfantPregnancy

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