Intrauterine insulin resistance in fetuses of overweight mothers.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the relationship between maternal overweight and fetal insulin resistance.


METHODS
Nineteen overweight and 30 lean pregnant women were recruited in the present study. Maternal and fetal insulin resistance were determined by measuring sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) concentrations in maternal venous or umbilical cord serum, respectively. Maternal age, gestational age, height, pre-gravidity weight, pre-partum weight, as well as fetal gender, birth weight, birth height, and head circumference were collected as clinical data.


RESULTS
Fetuses of overweight mothers had larger birth weight (3.58±0.55kg vs 3.32±0.42, adjusted P=0.006) and lower SHBG concentrations (26.64±3.65 vs 34.36±7.84, adjusted P=0.007) than those of lean mothers after values were adjusted for potential cofactors. Fetal SHBG level was negatively correlated with pre-gravidity body mass index (R=-0.392, adjusted P=0.025) and weight gain during pregnancy (R=-0.332, adjusted P=0.026) even with adjustment for potential cofactors. Among the 29 pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus, the overweight mothers had higher H1AC levels than their lean counterparts (6.47±0.44 vs 5.74±0.52, adjusted P=0.004).


CONCLUSIONS
Intrauterine insulin resistance is more prominent in fetuses of overweight mothers, an effect that is decreased by weight gain control during pregnancy.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital Department of Endocrinology, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital Zhong-shan Medical School, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Bin
B
Liu
Yun
Y
Xu
Jian-Ming
JM
Liang
Courtney
C
Voss
Huan-Yu
HY
Xiao
Wei-Yang
WY
Sheng
Yan-Hong
YH
Sun
Zi-Lian
ZL
Wang
D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000378:metabolism*; D005865:Gestational Age; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000502:physiology*; D050177:Overweight / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy