The effect of impaired 50-gram oral glucose challenge test on fetal abdominal wall thickness

Patients with impaired 50-g oral glucose challenge test (OGCT) have not been investigated for fetal anterior abdominal wall thickness until now. We aimed to investigate patients with impaired 50-g OGCT, but not gestational diabetes and match them with healthy uneventful pregnant participants for anterior abdominal wall thickness, estimated fetal weight, fetal gender, biparietal diameter, femur length and abdominal circumference.

A total of 99 pregnant women between 26 and 28 weeks of gestation were enrolled in the study. These patients were divided into two groups according to their 50-g OGCT results. Fifty-one pregnant women with uncomplicated healthy singleton pregnancies constituted our control group, and 48 singleton pregnant women with impaired 50-g OGCT but normal 100-g oral glucose tolerance test constituted our study group.

We detected statistically significant high body mass index in impaired 50-g glucose test group. Biparietal diameter, femur length, abdominal circumference and estimated fetal weight values were not significantly different between groups; however, anterior abdominal wall thickness value was significantly width in impaired 50-g glucose test group. Moreover, there were no statistically significant differences between two groups for gender of fetuses.

Impaired 50-g glucose test in pregnancy is related not only to increased maternal body mass index but also to fetal fat distribution. Although fetal abdominal circumference measurement and estimated fetal weight were not different between study and control group, increased anterior abdominal wall thickness can be detected in impaired 50-g OGCT group.