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.