First-trimester nuchal translucency screening in pregnant women who subsequently developed gestational diabetes.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the nuchal translucency (NT) thickness at 11-14 weeks of gestation in women who will later develop gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) with that of women with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) in the second trimester of pregnancy.


METHODS
Four hundred sixty-four women underwent NT screening at 11-14 weeks of gestation according to the standards of the Fetal Medicine Foundation. They all underwent an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) between 24 and 28 weeks.


RESULTS
Women with GDM (n = 135) were significantly older (34.0 years [+/-4.8] vs 29.4 years [+/-5.2]; P < .001), had a significantly higher body mass index (BMI) (28.2 kg/m2 [+/-6.0] vs 24.4 [+/-5.0]; P < .001), and had a significantly higher serum concentration of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) at the time of the NT measurement (5.38% [+/-0.6] vs 4.95% [+/-0.4]; P < .001] than women with NGT (n = 329). There is no significant difference in the NT measurement at 11 to 14 weeks of gestation between women with GDM and NGT after correction for crown rump length (CRL) (r = -.08, P = .45). We performed multiple linear regression analysis with NT as the dependent variable, and BMI, maternal age, CRL, and GDM/NGT as independent variables. CRL (P < .001) was significantly related to the NT measurement, whereas GDM/NGT, BMI, and maternal age were not.


CONCLUSIONS
As no significant difference in the NT measurement between women with GDM and NGT was observed, the risk estimation for chromosomal abnormality derived from the maternal age and NT measurement can also be used in women with glucose disorders.
Leipold
Heinz
H
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Vienna Medical School, Vienna, Austria.
Worda
Christof
C
Ozbal
Aral
A
Husslein
Peter
P
Krampl
Elisabeth
E
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006801:Humans; D048208:Nuchal Translucency Measurement; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second