Ponderal Index Increases With Maternal Glucose, but Large for Gestational Age Better Predicts Infant Morbidity in Type 1 Diabetes Pregnancies

Aim Large for gestational age (LGA) is commonly used to identify newborns at risk, but many infants born LGA are healthy. This study examines associations between ponderal index (PI) and maternal glucose, and it evaluates PI and LGA as predictors for infant morbidity in type 1 diabetes pregnancies. Method This study is a secondary analysis of retrospective data collected between 2014 and 2020 from a cohort study examining glucose markers in women with type 1 diabetes at four hospitals in Sweden. Associations between glucose variables from continuous glucose monitoring, PI, and negative neonatal outcomes were assessed using logistic regression. Results Data was collected from 118 women. Higher glycated haemoglobin in the first trimester and higher glucose levels in the second and third trimester increased the risk of delivering an infant with a high PI. However, no associations were found between PI and infant morbidity. LGA was associated with a fourfold increased risk of infant morbidity and a doubled risk of neonatal hypoglycaemia. Conclusion Higher glucose levels during pregnancy in women with type 1 diabetes increase the risk of delivering an infant with high PI. However, LGA remains a better measure than PI for predicting infant morbidity.