Lipid concentration in small for gestational age (SGA)pregnancies and hypertensive disorders

Low maternal serum lipid and high maternal serum lipid have both been associated with some complications in pregnancy. The lipid profiles in pregnancies complicated by small for gestational age (SGA) or hypertension disorders have been compared with those of normal pregnancies.

In a prospective study, 900 pregnant women between 13 and 23weeks of pregnancy were studied. Primarily, serum levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, were measured. Ultimately, the serum lipid levels at 13-23weeks of pregnancies were compared between the women who later suffered from hypertension disorders or SGA and the matched women with normal pregnancies.

At 13-23weeks of pregnancy, the mean triglyceride levels were significantly higher in the women who later experienced preeclampsia when compared with normal, matched pregnancies with an appropriate weight for gestational age and women who had gestational hypertension (p=0.001 and p=0.014, respectively). Also, triglyceride levels were significantly higher in women with neonates with large for gestational age (LGA) in comparison with those who gave birth to neonates with SGA (p=0.012) and with uncomplicated matched pregnant women who gave birth to neonates with weight >10th and <90th percentile for their gestational age (p=0.007).

Only the levels of TG and not any other lipids evaluated were found to be different in pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia when compared to pregnancies complicated by SGA.