High maternal HbA1c is associated with overweight in neonates.

INTRODUCTION

The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) not obtaining HbA1c within the normal range (≤ 5.6%) before delivery and to examine whether elevated HbA1c values are associated with an increased risk of large for gestational age (LGA) infants.

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

A population of 148 women with singleton pregnancies who had been diagnosed with GDM < 34 weeks, and who had a minimum of two HbA1c tests with a ≥ 3 week interval. They were divided into those obtaining a HbA1c ≤ 5.6%, and those who did not before delivery and further stratified according to baseline HbA1c ≤ or > 5.6%. The primary outcome was LGA infants.

RESULTS

A total of 51 (34%) women did not obtain a HbA1c ≤ 5.6% before delivery. The median HbA1c before delivery was 5.9% versus 5.3% in the two groups. At baseline, body mass index and HbA1c were higher in the women not obtaining the goal (30.9 versus 27.8 kg/m², 5.9% versus 5.1%, both p < 0.01). Women with an elevated HbA1c before delivery had a higher prevalence of LGA infants (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 3.1 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.3-7.6) and neonatal hypoglycaemia (adjusted OR 6.2 (95% CI 1.3-29.0). Other pregnancy outcomes were similar in the two groups. Stratification according to baseline HbA1c did not seem to change the result.

CONCLUSION

Women with GDM not obtaining HbA1c within the normal range before delivery had a threefold increased risk of having an LGA infant and a sixfold increased risk of neonatal hypoglycaemia.

FUNDING: not relevant.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: not relevant.