title: Correlation between birth weight and placental weight in healthy and diabetic puerperae.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The birth weight/placental weight ratio has an important predictive value for perinatal mortality and morbidity and for cardiovascular diseases in adult life. In this study, we compared the birth weight/placental weight (BW/PW) ratio and the correlation between the two parameters in diabetic women with that observed in healthy women.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 347 consecutive newborn infants from healthy puerperae, 164 newborns from puerperae with gestational diabetes, 148 newborns from puerperae with preexisting type 1 diabetes, and 40 newborns from puerperae with preexisting type 2 diabetes have been studied from the White population of Rome. The research project was approved by the Institutional Review Board and informed written consent was obtained from the participating mothers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The BW/PW ratio is higher, and the correlation between the two parameters is lower in all classes of diabetes as compared to healthy puerperae. A remarkably low correlation is observed in preexisting diabetes pointing to a dissociation of fetal growth from placental growth.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In diabetic pregnancy the BW/PW ratio is higher, and the correlation between birth weight and placental weight is lower in all classes of diabetic as compared to healthy puerperae pointing to a relative dissociation between the two parameters. It has been suggested that the increase of glycemic levels in diabetic pregnancy predisposes to important diseases in adult life. The dissociation of BW from PW in infants of diabetic pregnancy could be a predictor of the risk for such diseases of adult life.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy. Electronic address: gloria@med.uniroma2.it.
authors.forename: Fulvia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gloria-Bottini
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Neri
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Coppeta
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Magrini
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Egidio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bottini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009929:Organ Size; D054238:Perinatal Mortality / Q000639:trends; D010920:Placenta / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011254:Pregnancy in Diabetics; D011644:Puerperal Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*
keywords: BW–PW correlation BW/PW ratio; birth weight; diabetic pregnancy; healthy puerperae; placental weight