Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Original Article
  • Published:

Influence of pre-pregnancy obesity on the development of macrosomia and large for gestational age in women with or without gestational diabetes mellitus in Chinese population

Abstract

Objective:

To determine the effects of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and pre-pregnancy obesity on macrosomia and large for gestational age (LGA).

Study Design:

We conducted a prospective cohort study of 587 GDM women and 478 non-GDM women from 2012 to 2013. We collected their data of the pre-pregnancy weight, sociodemographic data, medical histories, clinical treatment, and followed-up the outcomes of delivery including birth weight. Multiple logistic regression models were used to test associations between pre-pregnant obesity and macrosomia/LGA and between GDM and macrosomia/LGA.

Result:

Of 1065 women we studied, obese women had 4.17 times and 2.27 times increased risk of developing macrosomia (95% CI: 2.52 to 6.91) and LGA (95% CI: 1.60 to 3.21), respectively, than non-obese women after adjustment for maternal age, gestational weeks and GDM. We did not find GDM is a risk factor for macrosomia or LGA after GDM treatment.

Conclusion:

Pre-pregnancy obesity accounts for a high prevalence of macrosomia. Interventions that focus on pre-pregnancy obesity have the potential to reach far more women at risk of macrosomia.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Schwartz R, Teramo KA . What is the significance of macrosomia? Diabetes Care 1999; 22: 1201–1205.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Lipscomb KR, Gregory K, Shaw K . The outcome of macrosomic infants weighing at least 4500 grams: Los Angeles County+University of Southern California experience. Obstet Gynecol 1995; 85: 558–564.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Li G, Kong L, Li Z, Zhang L, Fan L, Zou L et al. Prevalence of macrosomia and its risk factors in china: a multicentre survey based on birth data involving 101,723 singleton term infants. Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol 2014; 28: 345–350.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Lu Y, Zhang J, Lu X, Xi W, Li Z . Secular trends of macrosomia in southeast China, 1994-2005. BMC Public Health 2011; 11: 818.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Dodd JM, Grivell RM, Nguyen AM, Chan A, Robinson JS . Maternal and perinatal health outcomes by body mass index category. Aust N Z J Obstet Gynaecol 2011; 51: 136–140.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Metzger BE, Buchanan TA, Coustan DR, de Leiva A, Dunger DB, Hadden DR et al. Summary and recommendations of the Fifth International Workshop-Conference on Gestational Diabetes Mellitus. Diabetes Care 2007; 30 (Suppl 2): S251–S260.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Catalano PM, McIntyre HD, Cruickshank JK, McCance DR, Dyer AR, Metzger BE et al. The hyperglycemia and adverse pregnancy outcome study: associations of GDM and obesity with pregnancy outcomes. Diabetes Care 2012; 35: 780–786.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Ricart W, Lopez J, Mozas J, Pericot A, Sancho MA, Gonzalez N et al. Body mass index has a greater impact on pregnancy outcomes than gestational hyperglycaemia. Diabetologia 2005; 48: 1736–1742.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Black MH, Sacks DA, Xiang AH, Lawrence JM . The relative contribution of prepregnancy overweight and obesity, gestational weight gain, and IADPSG-defined gestational diabetes mellitus to fetal overgrowth. Diabetes Care 2013; 36: 56–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Liu J, Leng J, Tang C, Liu G, Hay J, Wang J et al. Maternal glucose level and body mass index measured at gestational diabetes mellitus screening and the risk of macrosomia: results from a perinatal cohort study. BMJ Open 2014; 4: e4538.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Bowers K, Laughon SK, Kiely M, Brite J, Chen Z, Zhang C . Gestational diabetes, pre-pregnancy obesity and pregnancy weight gain in relation to excess fetal growth: variations by race/ethnicity. Diabetologia 2013; 56: 1263–1271.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Langer O . Obesity or diabetes: which is more hazardous to the health of the offspring? J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med 2014; 1–24.

  13. Kim SY, Sharma AJ, Sappenfield W, Wilson HG, Salihu HM . Association of maternal body mass index, excessive weight gain, and gestational diabetes mellitus with large-for-gestational-age births. Obstet gynecol 2014; 123: 737–744.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Vellinga A, Zawiejska A, Harreiter J, Buckley B, Di Cianni G, Lapolla A et al. Associations of body mass index (maternal BMI) and gestational diabetes mellitus with neonatal and maternal pregnancy outcomes in a Multicentre European Database (diabetes and pregnancy vitamin D and lifestyle intervention for gestational diabetes mellitus prevention). ISRN Obes 2012; 2012: 424010.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  15. Hartling L, Dryden DM, Guthrie A, Muise M, Vandermeer B, Donovan L . Benefits and harms of treating gestational diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and the National Institutes of Health Office of Medical Applications of Research. Ann Intern Med 2013; 159: 123–129.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Bener A, Saleh NM, Al-Hamaq A . Prevalence of gestational diabetes and associated maternal and neonatal complications in a fast-developing community: global comparisons. Int J Womens Health 2011; 3: 367–373.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Yangfeng W, Guansheng M, Yonghua H, Yanping L, Xian L, Zhaohui L et al. The current prevalence status of body overweight and obesity in China. Chin J Prev Med 2005; 39: 316–320.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Zhang BL . A revision report of the birth weight of male and female in different gestational age of 15 cities in China. Chin J Prac Pediatr 1992; 7: 306–307.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Yang H . Diagnosis and treatment guidelines for pregnancy associated diabetes millitus. Health Management 2014; 78–82.

  20. Zhou B . Predictive values of body mass index and waist circumference to risk factors of related diseases in Chinese adult population. Zhonghua Liu Xing Bing Xue Za Zhi 2002; 23: 5–10.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Tomeo CA, Rich-Edwards JW, Michels KB, Berkey CS, Hunter DJ, Frazier AL et al. Reproducibility and validity of maternal recall of pregnancy-related events. Epidemiology 1999; 10: 774–777.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. WHO Expert Consultation. Appropriate body-mass index for Asian populations and its implications for policy and intervention strategies. Lancet 2004; 363: 157–163.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Cedergren MI . Maternal morbid obesity and the risk of adverse pregnancy outcome. Obstet gynecol 2004; 103: 219–224.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Gu S, An X, Fang L, Zhang X, Zhang C, Wang J et al. Risk factors and long-term health consequences of macrosomia: a prospective study in Jiangsu Province, China. J Biomed Res 2012; 26: 235–240.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. National Diabetes Data Group.. Classification and diagnosis of diabetes mellitus and other categories of glucose intolerance. Diabetes 1979; 28: 1039–1057.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Carpenter MW, Coustan DR . Criteria for screening tests for gestational diabetes. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1982; 144: 768–773.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Surkan PJ, Hsieh CC, Johansson AL, Dickman PW, Cnattingius S . Reasons for increasing trends in large for gestational age births. Obstet Gynecol 2004; 104: 720–726.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Orskou J, Henriksen TB, Kesmodel U, Secher NJ . Maternal characteristics and lifestyle factors and the risk of delivering high birth weight infants. Obstet Gynecol 2003; 102: 115–120.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This study was supported by a grant from the Specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education (No. 20120001110014).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Y Wang or H-X Yang.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Supplementary Information accompanies the paper on the Journal of Perinatology website

Supplementary information

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Wang, LF., Wang, HJ., Ao, D. et al. Influence of pre-pregnancy obesity on the development of macrosomia and large for gestational age in women with or without gestational diabetes mellitus in Chinese population. J Perinatol 35, 985–990 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/jp.2015.119

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/jp.2015.119

This article is cited by

Search

Quick links