Glucose control among women with gestational diabetes and early offspring’s growth

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association between glucose control during pregnancy and infant's growth. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Prospective study of 130 women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) followed up to three months after birth. Infant's growth was assessed as weight-for-age (WfA), weight-for-length (WfL), and length-for-age (LfA) z-scores. The association of adequate vs. inadequate glucose control with infant's growth was evaluated using linear mixed models. RESULTS: Overall, glucose control during pregnancy was not associated with WfA (aβ= 0.089; 95%CI: -0.248,0.426), WfL (aβ= 0.006; 95%CI: -0.280,0.291), and LfA (aβ= 0.136; 95%CI: -0.157,0.429). We observed heterogeneity of effects by gestational age; infants with adequate control compared to inadequate had reduced WfA if they were born at ≥39 weeks. CONCLUSION: Glucose control of women with GDM might have little impact on their early offspring's growth; however, gestational age might be relevant in terms of heterogeneity of effects. Future studies to confirm the latter findings are required.