title: Does nuchal translucency thickness in the first trimester predict GDM onset during pregnancy?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was planned to evaluate whether increased nuchal translucency (NT) thickness in the first trimester of gestation can be related to onset of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) during pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  From January 2006 to August 2008, a group of 678 singleton pregnancies who had developed GDM has been selected as a study group among a total of 3966 pregnant women who had undergone first trimester screening for aneuploidies at 11-14 weeks of gestation. A group of 420 single pregnant women with physiological pregnancy were enrolled as control group. Both fetal structural and karyotype's anomalies were excluded in the two groups. NT was mesured by a Fetal Medicine Foundation certificated operator; GDM was diagnosed at 24-28 weeks of gestation following Carpenter and Coustan criteria. In the analyses of continuos variables, study and control group were compared by Student's t-test and Anova test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no significative difference (p = 0.585) between NT values in the study (mean = 1.56) and control group (mean = 1.54).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  NT thickness does not show a significative increase in those women who subsequently develop GDM. Therefore, NT assessment does not prove to be an useful ultrasound parameter for predicting GDM onset during pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Reproductive Medicine and Child Development, Division of Gynecology and Obstetrics P. Fioretti, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy. c.luchi@unipi.it
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Luchi
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schifano
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nanini
authors.forename: Graziano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Di Cianni
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lencioni
authors.forename: Andrea R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Genazzani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D048208:Nuchal Translucency Measurement; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second / Q000097:blood; D012189:Retrospective Studies