Short primiparous women are at an increased risk for gestational diabetes mellitus

Both short stature and adiposity are risk factors for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). The aim of this study was to simultaneously evaluate the importance of stature and degree of adiposity on development of GDM in primiparous women.

Longitudinal cohort study.

In the city of Vantaa, Finland, between 2009 and 2015, all together 7750 primiparous women without previously diagnosed diabetes mellitus gave birth. Of these, 5223 women were ≥18 years of age with information on height, weight, and complete data from a 75 g 2-h oral glucose tolerance test composing the study participants of this study.

A 155-cm tall woman with a body mass index (BMI) of 25.5 kg/m² had a similar risk for GDM as a 175-cm tall woman with a BMI of 27.1 kg/m². Women shorter than 159 cm had the highest prevalence of GDM, 28.7%, whereas women with height between 164 and 167 cm had the lowest prevalence of GDM, 19.9% (P < 0.001). Height was inversely and significantly associated with both 1- and 2-h glucose values (both P < 0.001).

To avoid over diagnosis of GDM, an unbiased strategy is needed to determine and diagnose GDM in women with different stature and degree of adiposity.