title: Fetal male gender and the benefits of treatment of mild gestational diabetes mellitus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We evaluated whether improvements in pregnancy outcomes after treatment of mild gestational diabetes mellitus differed in magnitude on the basis of fetal gender.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a secondary analysis of a masked randomized controlled trial of treatment for mild gestational diabetes mellitus. The results included preeclampsia or gestational hypertension, birthweight, neonatal fat mass, and composite adverse outcomes for both neonate (preterm birth, small for gestational age, or neonatal intensive care unit admission) and mother (labor induction, cesarean delivery, preeclampsia, or gestational hypertension). After stratification according to fetal gender, the interaction of gender with treatment status was estimated for these outcomes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 469 pregnancies with male fetuses, 244 pregnancies were assigned randomly to treatment, and 225 pregnancies were assigned randomly to routine care. Of the 463 pregnancies with female fetuses, 233 pregnancies were assigned randomly to treatment, and 230 pregnancies were assigned randomly to routine care. The interaction of gender with treatment status was significant for fat mass (P = .04) and birthweight percentile (P = .02). Among women who were assigned to the treatment group, male offspring were significantly more likely to have both a lower birthweight percentile (50.7 ± 29.2 vs 62.5 ± 30.2 percentile; P < .0001) and less neonatal fat mass (487 ± 229.6 g vs 416.6 ± 172.8 g; P = .0005,) whereas these differences were not significant among female offspring. There was no interaction between fetal gender and treatment group with regard to other outcomes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The magnitude of the reduction of a newborn's birthweight percentile and neonatal fat mass that were related to the treatment of mild gestational diabetes mellitus appears greater for male neonates.
authors.affiliation: Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hutzel Women's Hospital, Detroit, MI 48201, USA. rbahados@med.wayne.edu
authors.forename: Ray O
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Bahado-Singh
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mele
authors.forename: Mark B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Landon
authors.forename: Susan M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Ramin
authors.forename: Marshall W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Carpenter
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Casey
authors.forename: Ronald J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Wapner
authors.forename: Michael W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Varner
authors.forename: Dwight J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Rouse
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Thorp
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sciscione
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Catalano
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Harper
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Saade
authors.forename: Steve N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Caritis
authors.forename: Alan M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Peaceman
authors.forename: Jorge E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Tolosa
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity; D001724:Birth Weight; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000628:therapy*; D004035:Diet Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007328:Insulin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D012737:Sex Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin