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)
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