Aim/BackgroundThe prevalence of elderly pregnancy and maternal obesity is increasing worldwide. In old and obese women, metabolic derangement affecting fetal growth might be present earlier than the diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) or even before pregnancy. We thus investigated whether GDM diagnosed at 24–28 weeks of gestation had already affected fetal abdominal growth and, if so, whether elderly pregnancy and/or maternal obesity aggravate fetal abdominal obesity.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 7820 singleton pregnant women who had been universally screened using a 50-g glucose challenge test (GCT) at 24–28 weeks of gestation, and underwent a 3-h 100-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) if GCT were ≥140mg/dl. GDM and normal glucose tolerance (NGT) were diagnosed using the Carpenter-Coustan criteria. Fetal abdominal obesity was investigated by assessing the fetal abdominal overgrowth ratios (FAORs) of the ultrasonographically estimated gestational age (GA) of abdominal circumference per actual GA by the last menstruation period, biparietal diameter or femur length, respectively. Fetal abdominal overgrowth was defined as FAOR ≥ 90th percentile. The subjects were divided into four study groups: group 1 (age < 35 years and pre-pregnancy body mass index [BMI] < 25 kg/m2), group 2 (age < 35 years and ≥ 25), group 3 (age ≥ 35 years and BMI < 25), and group 4 (age ≥ 35 years and ≥ 25).ResultsThe overall prevalence of GDM was 5.1%, with old and obese group 4 exhibiting the highest prevalence (22.4%). FAORs were significantly higher in the fetus of those with GDM than in the NGT subjects. But, in the subgroup analysis, only old and nonobese group 3 and old and obese group 4 with GDM exhibited significantly higher FAORs than the NGT subjects. Also, risk of fetal abdominal overgrowth was increased in group 3 and 4 subjects with GDM but not in young and nonobese group 1 GDM. The risk of fetal abdominal overgrowth significantly increased with maternal age >35 years, pre-pregnancy BMI >20kg/m2, and HbA1c >37.7 mmol/mol (5.6%). In multivariate analyses, maternal age and HbA1c were significantly associated with FAORs.ConclusionGDM diagnosed at 24–28 weeks of gestation already affected fetal abdominal obesity in older and/or obese women, but not in younger and nonobese women. Our data suggest that selective screening and appropriate intervention of GDM earlier than 24–28 weeks of gestation might be necessary for high-risk old and/or obese women.

Background: Fetal abdominal obesity (FAO) has been reported to be affected at gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) diagnosis at 24 to 28 weeks of gestation in older and/or obese women. This study investigated whether the management of GDM improves FAO in GDM subjects near term.Methods: Medical records of 7,099 singleton pregnant women delivering at CHA Gangnam Medical Center were reviewed retrospectively. GDM was diagnosed by 100-g oral glucose tolerance test after 50-g glucose challenge test based on Carpenter–Coustan criteria. GDM subjects were divided into four study groups according to maternal age and obesity. FAO was defined as ≥90th percentile of fetal abdominal overgrowth ratios (FAORs) of the ultrasonographically estimated gestational age (GA) of abdominal circumference per actual GA by the last menstruation period, biparietal diameter, or femur length, respectively.Results: As compared with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) subjects near term, FAORs and odds ratio for FAO were significantly higher in old and/or obese women with GDM but not in young and nonobese women with GDM. For fetuses of GDM subjects with FAO at the time of GDM diagnosis, the odds ratio for exhibiting FAO near term and being large for GA at birth were 7.87 (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.38 to 14.15) and 10.96 (95% CI, 5.58 to 20.53) compared with fetuses of NGT subjects without FAO at GDM diagnosis.Conclusion: Despite treatment, FAO detected at the time of GDM diagnosis persisted until delivery. Early diagnosis and treatment might be necessary to prevent near term FAO in high-risk older and/or obese women.

Fetal abdominal obesity (FAO) was detected at the time of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) diagnosis at 24–28 gestational weeks (GW) in older (≥ 35 years) and/or obese (≥ body mass index 25 kg/m2) women and persisted until delivery. We investigated whether FAO is already present at 20–24 GW. Medical records of 7820 singleton pregnancy including 384 GDM were reviewed. Fetal abdominal overgrowth was assessed by the fetal abdominal overgrowth ratios (FAORs) of the ultrasonographically estimated gestational age (GA) of abdominal circumference per actual GA by the last menstruation period, biparietal diameter or femur length, respectively. FAO was defined as FAOR ≥ 90th percentile. FAORs measured at 20–24 GW in older and/or obese but not in young and non-obese GDM subjects were significantly higher than those in NGT subjects. Relative to NGT subjects without FAO at 20–24 GW, odds ratios for exhibiting FAO at GDM diagnosis and large for gestational age in GDM with FAO at 20–24 GW were 10.15 and 5.57, and their primary cesarean delivery rate was significantly higher than those in GDM without FAO (44% vs. 29%). Earlier diagnosis and active interventions of GDM well before 20–24 GW might be necessary to prevent FAO in the older and/or obese women.