title: The sex of the foetus affects maternal blood glucose concentrations in overweight and obese pregnant women.
abstract: There is increasing evidence that the sex of the foetus may alter the maternal metabolic milieu during pregnancy. Following a randomized controlled trial of exercise in overweight and obese pregnant women, we assessed whether the sex of the foetus was associated with changes in maternal metabolism. Data were analysed on 74 randomized participants who completed the trial, including 38 mothers carrying males and 36 mothers carrying females. At 19 weeks of gestation, mothers carrying boys had higher blood glucose concentrations than those carrying girls (5.4 vs 4.9 mmol/l; p = .046). At 36 weeks of gestation, differences were more marked, with blood glucose concentrations 15% higher in mothers carrying females (5.7 vs 5.0 mmol/l; p = .004). In addition, mothers carrying girls had higher concentrations of hs-CRP across pregnancy (5.0 vs 3.6 mg/l; p = .029). Our findings provide further evidence that the sex of the foetus appears to influence maternal metabolism.
authors.affiliation: a Liggins Institute , University of Auckland , Auckland , New Zealand.|b Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine , University of Colombo , Colombo , Sri Lanka.
authors.forename: Sumudu N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Seneviratne
authors.affiliation: a Liggins Institute , University of Auckland , Auckland , New Zealand.
authors.forename: José G B
authors.initials: JGB
authors.lastname: Derraik
authors.affiliation: c Department of Statistics , University of Auckland , Auckland , New Zealand.
authors.forename: Yannan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: d Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, South Auckland Clinical School and Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences , University of Auckland , Auckland , New Zealand.|e Gravida: National Centre for Growth and Development , Auckland , New Zealand.
authors.forename: Lesley M E
authors.initials: LME
authors.lastname: McCowan
authors.affiliation: a Liggins Institute , University of Auckland , Auckland , New Zealand.
authors.forename: Silmara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gusso
authors.affiliation: a Liggins Institute , University of Auckland , Auckland , New Zealand.|e Gravida: National Centre for Growth and Development , Auckland , New Zealand.
authors.forename: Wayne S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Cutfield
authors.affiliation: a Liggins Institute , University of Auckland , Auckland , New Zealand.|e Gravida: National Centre for Growth and Development , Auckland , New Zealand.
authors.forename: Paul L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Hofman
mesh_terms: D001786:Blood Glucose; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000097:blood*; D012727:Sex Characteristics
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose
keywords: Maternal; cord blood; foetus; metabolism; obesity; pregnancy