Placental weight relative to birthweight in pregnancies with maternal diabetes mellitus. (9th March 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Strøm‐Roum, Ellen M.; Haavaldsen, Camilla; Tanbo, Tom G.; Eskild, Anne
• Is Part Of: Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica. Volume 92:Number 7(2013)
• Page Start: 783
• Page End: 789
• Publication Date: 2013-03-09
• Subjects: Birthweight -- diabetes -- placental weight -- population study -- pregnancy; Gynecology -- Periodicals; Pregnancy -- Periodicals; Obstetrics -- Periodicals; 618.05
• DOI: 10.1111/aogs.12104
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0001-6349

Abstract

Abstract: Objectives: To study the association of maternal diabetes mellitus with placental weight, birthweight and placental weight‐to‐birthweight ratio. Design: Population‐based study. Setting: Medical Birth Registry of Norway. Population: All singleton births in Norway during 1999–2008 ( n = 536 997). Methods: We compared the distribution of placental weight z‐scores and placental weight‐to‐birthweight ratio between pregnancies with and without diabetes. The associations of diabetes with placental weight z‐scores were also estimated as odds ratios with and without adjustment for birthweight, maternal age, parity, preeclampsia, smoking and cesarean delivery. Main outcome measures: Placental weight, birthweight and placental weight‐to‐birthweight ratio. Results: Mean placental weight was 736.6 g in diabetic pregnancies and 672.1 g in non‐diabetic pregnancies. The corresponding birthweights were 3682.1 g and 3557.0 g. In diabetic pregnancies, 26.2% of the placentas were in the highest decile of placental weight z‐score, as compared with 9.7% in non‐diabetic pregnancies ( p < 0.001). The corresponding figures for being in the highest decile of placental weight‐to‐birthweight ratio were 18.2 and 9.9% ( p < 0.001). The crude odds ratio for having a placenta in the highest decile of placental weight z‐score was 3.29 (95% confidence interval 3.14–3.45) in diabetic pregnancies with non‐diabetic pregnancies as the reference. After adjustment for birthweight and other variables, the odds ratio was 2.42 (95% confidence interval 2.29–2.56). Conclusions: In diabetic pregnancies, placental weight as well as placental weight relative to birthweight were higher than in non‐diabetic pregnancies.