Fasting glucose and maternal triglyceride levels partially mediate the association between maternal obesity and the occurrence of large for gestational age infants.
Maternal obesity/overweight is considered to be associated with macrosomia. Maternal obesity and gestational diabetes mellitus pose a risk for excessive fetal growth. This prospective cohort study investigated the role of maternal triglycerides (mTG) and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) in mediating the association between large for gestational age (LGA) and maternal obesity in non-diabetic pregnant females. The findings are published in the journal BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth.
Study Characteristics
Out of the 19104 women included in the study, 1228 delivered LGA infants. Compared to mothers in the control group, the pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) of mothers who delivered LGA infants was significantly higher. Mothers with LGA infants had a higher frequency of cesarean sections and gestational weight gain.
Maternal Obesity Increased the Risk of LGA Offspring
Underweight women had lower odds of having LGA infants, whereas the offspring of obese mothers were at a significantly greater risk for LGA.
Mediating Effect of Fasting Glucose and Maternal Triglyceride Levels
Being overweight or obese was significantly associated with FPG and mTG. Based on the analysis, mTG and FPG were related, and there was a significant association between LGA occurrence and high FPG and mTG in obese and overweight women. Based on the serial multiple mediation analysis, there was a significant mediating effect of mTG and FPG on the association between maternal overweight/obesity and fetal LGA.
Source
Wan, Y., Chen, Y., Wu, X., Yin, A., Tian, F., Zhang, H., Huang, X., Wu, L., & Niu, J. (2023). Mediation effect of maternal triglyceride and fasting glucose level on the relationship between maternal overweight/ obesity and fetal growth: a prospective cohort study. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 23(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-023-05716-0
