Association between early gestational weight gain and the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus: a retrospective study.
Abstract
Objective
To investigate the correlation between excessive weight gain during early pregnancy and the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), and to provide evidence for early clinical intervention.
Methods
The clinical data of 152 women with singleton pregnancies who were admitted to the Department of Obstetrics, PLA General Hospital Hainan Branch, from January 2022 to December 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. According to weight gain during early pregnancy (before 14 weeks of gestation), the pregnant women were divided into an excessive weight gain group (> 2.0 kg/week, 68 cases) and a normal weight gain group (0.5-2.0 kg/week, 84 cases). Baseline clinical characteristics, including maternal age, pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), obstetric history, and family history, were collected. An oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed at 24-28 weeks of gestation to screen for GDM. Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed to evaluate the relationship between early pregnancy weight gain and the risk of GDM.
Results
Among 152 pregnant women, 35 were diagnosed with GDM, with an incidence of 23.0%. The incidence of GDM in the excessive weight gain group was 32.4% (22/68), significantly higher than 15.5% (13/84) in the normal weight gain group (χ2=6.214, P=0.013). No significant differences were observed in baseline characteristics, including maternal age, pre-pregnancy BMI, and gravidity, between the two groups (P > 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that, after adjusting for potential confounding factors such as maternal age and pre-pregnancy BMI, excessive weight gain during early pregnancy remained an independent risk factor for GDM (OR=2.876, 95% CI: 1.543-5.362, P=0.001).
Conclusion
Excessive weight gain during early pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of GDM. Therefore, clinical monitoring and management of weight gain during early pregnancy should be strengthened, and early intervention should be implemented for pregnant women with excessive weight gain to reduce the risk of GDM.