Predicting the birth of big babies

Pierre Maheux and colleagues report that plasma glucose concentrations in pregnant women -- an indicator of gestational diabetes -- do not necessarily lead to the delivery of a large-for-gestational-age (LGA) babies.

Maheux and colleagues retrospectively evaluated the charts of 300 women whose oral glucose load screening test showed evidence of glucose intolerance (diabetes) with 300 women whose plasma glucose levels were normal. The authors found that plasma glucose levels were only poorly correlated with birth weight and that LGA neonates were better explained by other factors.

In a related commentary Mathew Sermer discusses the historic link between gestational diabetes and LGA neonates. He says some physicians question whether gestational diabetes even exists, while others think factors such as smoking, pregnancy weight and weight gain during pregnancy are more important predictors of LGA babies.

p. 403 An observational study comparing 2-hour 75-g oral glucose tolerance with fasting plasma glucose in pregnant women: both poorly predictive of birth weight
-- C. Ouzilleau et al

p. 429 Does screening for gestational diabetes mellitus make a difference?
-- M. Sermer

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