The association between pre-pregnancy impaired fasting glucose and adverse perinatal outcome

To evaluate the association between impaired fasting glucose (IFG) prior to pregnancy with maternal and neonatal outcome.

A retrospective cohort study of singleton deliveries in a single, tertiary, university-affiliated medical center between August 2007 and December 2012. We included women who had a fasting glucose test done up to 26 weeks prior to pregnancy. We excluded women with diabetes mellitus and women carrying a fetus with structural or chromosomal anomalies. Maternal and neonatal outcome were compared between two groups: women with pre-pregnancy IFG (defined as fasting glucose ≥100 mg/dl and <126 mg/dl) versus those with normoglycemia (fasting glucose <100 mg/dl).

Overall, 1945 women met inclusion criteria. Of whom, 1790 had pre-pregnancy glucose <100 mg/dl and 155 had IFG. There were no differences between groups in basic characteristics. As for maternal outcome, IFG was associated with higher rates of mild preeclampsia (5.16% vs. 0.67%), abnormal glucose challenge test (21.94% vs. 13.46%) and gestational diabetes (13.55 vs. 2.85%), p < 0.05 for all. There were no significant differences in neonatal outcome. After adjusting for potential confounders, on multivariable logistic regression, pre-pregnancy IFG remained significantly and independently associated with mild preeclampsia (aOR 6.92, 95% CI 2.68-18.05, p < 0.001).

Pre-pregnancy IFG is associated with increased risk for abnormal glucose challenge test and gestational diabetes, and it is an independent risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcome including mild preeclampsia.