Impact of pre-pregnancy BMI on blood glucose levels in pregnancy and on the anthropometry of newborns – preliminary insights from the Croatian Islands' Birth Cohort Study (CRIBS)

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and fasting blood glucose level in pregnancy on the anthropometry of newborns. The sample consisted of 171 healthy pregnant women and their newborns from the Croatian Islands' Birth Cohort Study. Peripheral blood of pregnant women was taken in the second trimester and fasting glucose values >5.1 mmol/l were considered elevated. Anthropometric variables (body weight, height and waist circumference) were measured according to the International Biological Program. Pre-pregnancy BMI and fasting glucose levels during pregnancy were significantly positively correlated (p<0,01), as were pre-pregnancy BMI and birth weight (p<0,05), length (p<0,01), and head circumference (p<0,05) of the newborns. Hyperglycaemic women gave birth to significantly heavier newborn girls then normal glycaemic women (p<0.05). In conclusion, there was a positive correlation between pre-pregnancy BMI, fasting glucose during pregnancy and the anthropometry of newborns in this study.