The effect of maternal characteristics and gestational diabetes on birthweight

• Published in: BJOG : an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology 2012-08, Vol.119 (9), p.1091-1097
• Main Authors: Makgoba, M, Savvidou, MD, Steer, PJ
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Birth weight; Birth Weight - physiology; Birthweight; Body Mass Index; Continental Population Groups - ethnology; Diabetes; Diabetes, Gestational - ethnology; Diabetes, Gestational - physiopathology; Female; gestational diabetes mellitus; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Humans; London - epidemiology; Maternal Age; Medical sciences; Pregnancy; Race; Regression Analysis; Retrospective Studies; risk factors; Smoking - adverse effects; Smoking - ethnology
• ISSN: 1470-0328; 1471-0528
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.2012.03388.x

Please cite this paper as: Makgoba M, Savvidou MD, Steer PJ. The effect of maternal characteristics and gestational diabetes on birthweight. BJOG 2012;119:1191–1197. Objective  To examine the effect of maternal characteristics, including advancing maternal age, body mass index (BMI), racial origin and development of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), on birthweight and the interactions between these factors. Design  Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data. Setting  Fifteen maternity units in North West London, between 1988 and 2000. Population  A cohort of 130 549 pregnant women. Methods  Multivariate regression analysis. Outcome measures  Birthweight z‐scores in non‐GDM and GDM groups within three main racial groups (white European, black and South Asian women). Results  Babies born to women with GDM were heavier compared with those born to women with no GDM in all racial groups. In black women with GDM the birthweight z‐scores were 0.805 higher, in South Asian women the scores were 0.618 higher and in white European women the scores were 0.437 higher, compared with the respective non‐GDM group (P