Women with Gestational Diabetes may Experience Excessive Fetal Growth

Researchers looking at over 100,000 pregnancies find that gestational diabetes is one of the greatest risks for delivering a large-for-gestational age baby….

Excessive fetal growth is associated with both gestational diabetes and hyperglycemia during pregnancy. Researchers found after looking at more than 100,000 pregnancies that giving birth to a large baby for gestational age was increased by gestational diabetes, pre-pregnancy obesity and excessive pregnancy weight gain and is also affected by race. A woman’s race may also need to be considered when trying to prevent excessive fetal growth during pregnancy in women with gestational diabetes.

Giving birth to a large for gestational age baby is independently associated with underweight and normal-weight women’s pre-pregnancy adiposity, subsequent pregnancy weight gain and gestational diabetes across all races except gestational diabetes in non-hispanic white females.

The biggest risk, a 2-fold increased risk, of having a large for gestational age baby is associated with gestational diabetes. The authors also feel that helping identity these risk factors could be a starting point for controlling childhood obesity.

Diabetologia DOI 10.1007/s00125-013-2881-5 "Gestational Diabetes, Maternal Weight and Race Increased Fetal Growth."