Endocrine disorders in pregnancy: Excessive maternal weight increases risk of infant overgrowth

摘要

Infants born to women who had obesity or overweight before pregnancy have a high risk of being large for gestational age (LGA), show the findings of a new study. This risk is high whether or not these women have gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Weight gain during pregnancy was also seen to increase the risk of an LGA birth. Excessive infant weight is strongly associated with maternal and infant morbidity. However, "scant data exist on the relative contribution of all three factors-prepregnancy overweight/ obesity, GDM and excessive weight gain—to adverse outcomes," says study author Mary Helen Black. "Additionally, no study thus far has considered all three factors while simultaneously using the new IADPSG (International Association of Diabetes in Pregnancy Study Groups) guidelines for diagnosing GDM."