American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology
Volume 201, Issue 1 , Pages 61.e1-61.e7, July 2009

Weight gain in pregnancy and risk of maternal hyperglycemia

Presented at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Society for Pediatric and Perinatal Epidemiologic Research, Chicago, IL, June 23-24, 2008.

  • Sharon J. Herring, MD, MPH

      Affiliations

    • Center for Obesity Research and Education, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
    • Corresponding Author InformationReprints: Sharon J. Herring, MD, MPH, Center for Obesity Research and Education, Temple University School of Medicine, 3223 N. Broad St., Suite 175, Philadelphia, PA 19140
  • ,
  • Emily Oken, MD, MPH

      Affiliations

    • Obesity Prevention Program, Department of Ambulatory Care and Prevention, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Boston, MA
  • ,
  • Sheryl L. Rifas-Shiman, MPH

      Affiliations

    • Obesity Prevention Program, Department of Ambulatory Care and Prevention, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Boston, MA
  • ,
  • Janet W. Rich-Edwards, ScD

      Affiliations

    • Connors Center for Women's Health and Gender Biology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
  • ,
  • Alison M. Stuebe, MD, MSc

      Affiliations

    • Division of Maternal–Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC
  • ,
  • Ken P. Kleinman, ScD

      Affiliations

    • Obesity Prevention Program, Department of Ambulatory Care and Prevention, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Boston, MA
  • ,
  • Matthew W. Gillman, MD, SM

      Affiliations

    • Obesity Prevention Program, Department of Ambulatory Care and Prevention, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Boston, MA
    • Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA

Received 16 August 2008; received in revised form 25 November 2008; accepted 21 January 2009. published online 16 April 2009.

Objective

The purpose of this study was to examine associations of weight gain from prepregnancy to glycemic screening with glucose tolerance status.

Study Design

Main outcomes were failed glycemic screening (1-hour glucose result ≥ 140 mg/dL) with either 1 high value on 3-hour oral glucose tolerance testing (impaired glucose tolerance in pregnancy) or ≥ 2 high values on 3-hour oral glucose tolerance testing (gestational diabetes mellitus). We performed multinomial logistic regression to determine the odds of these glucose intolerance outcomes by quartile of gestational weight gain among 1960 women in Project Viva.

Results

Mean gestational weight gain was 10.2 ± 4.3 (SD) kg. Compared with the lowest quartile of weight gain, participants in the highest quartile had an increased odds of impaired glucose tolerance in pregnancy (adjusted odds ratio, 2.54; 95% confidence interval, 1.25-5.15), but not gestational diabetes mellitus (odds ratio, 0.93; 95% confidence interval, 0.50-1.70).

Conclusion

Higher weight gain predicted impaired glucose tolerance in pregnancy, but not gestational diabetes mellitus.

Key words: gestational diabetes mellitus, impaired glucose tolerance, obesity, pregnancy, weight gain

 

 This study was supported by Grants from the National Institutes of Health (HD 34568, HD 64925, HL 68041), Harvard Medical School, and the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation. Dr Herring was supported by an institutional Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (5 T32 HP11001-19) from the Health Resources and Services Administration and the Department of Ambulatory Care and Prevention at Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Boston, MA.

 Cite this article as: Herring SJ, Oken E, Rifas-Shiman SL, et al. Weight gain in pregnancy and risk of maternal hyperglycemia. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2009;201:61.e1-7.

PII: S0002-9378(09)00105-7

doi:10.1016/j.ajog.2009.01.039

American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology
Volume 201, Issue 1 , Pages 61.e1-61.e7, July 2009