Objective: The objective was to study the relationships between ultrasound estimated visceral fat and metabolic risk factors during early pregnancy.Research Methods and Procedures: Thirty consecutive healthy pregnant women at 11 to 14 weeks of gestation were studied. Maximum subcutaneous fat thickness (SFT) and visceral fat thickness (VFT) were successfully measured by ultrasound. Fasting plasma glucose, insulin, triglycerides, total cholesterol, high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL‐C), and blood pressure were measured. Insulin resistance was calculated by using the homeostasis model assessment (HOMA).Results: VFT significantly correlated with diastolic blood pressure (r = 0.37, p = 0.04), glycemia (r = 0.37, p = 0.04), insulinemia (r = 0.59, p = 0.001) insulin sensitivity (HOMA; r = 0.59, p = 0.001), triglycerides (r = 0.58, p = 0.03), HDL‐C (r = −0.39, p = 0.03), and total cholesterol/HDL‐C ratio (p = 0.002), whereas SFT was significantly correlated with only diastolic blood pressure (p = 0.03). VFT better significantly correlated with the metabolic risk factors than pre‐gestational BMI [r = 0.39, p = 0.03 for insulinemia, r = 0.42, p = 0.02 for insulin sensitivity (HOMA), and r = 0.49, p = 0.01 for triglycerides and not significant for the rest].Discussion: Visceral fat thickness can be easily measured by ultrasound at early pregnancy and correlates better than BMI with metabolic risk factors.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate pregnancy complications and obstetric and perinatal outcomes in women with twin pregnancy and GDM. Study Design: An observational multicentre retrospective study was performed and 534 pregnant woman and 1068 twins infants allocated into two groups, 257 with GDM and 277 controls, were studied. Main Outcome Measures: Pregnant women characteristics, hypertensive complications, preterm delivery rate, mode of delivery and birthweight were analysed. Results: Pregnant women with GDM were older (p < 0.001) and had higher body mass index (p < 0.001) than controls. GDM was associated with higher risk of prematurity in twin pregnancy (odds ratio 1.64, 95% confidence interval [1.14–2.32], p = 0.005). This association was based on the association with other pregnancy complications. Birthweight Z-scores were significantly higher in the GDM group (p = 0.02). The rate of macrosomia was higher in the GDM group (p = 0.002) and small for gestational age (SGA) babies were significantly less frequent (p = 0.03). GDM was an independent predictor of macrosomia (p = 0.006). Conclusion: The presence of GDM in twin pregnancy was associated with a higher risk of hypertensive complications, prematurity and macrosomia, but significantly reduces the risk of SGA infants. Prematurity was related to the presence of other associated pregnancy complications.

Aim. To compare pregnancy outcome and factors related to adverse perinatal outcome in women with type 1 versus type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). Material and methods. Multicentre retrospective study. Some 404 women were studied, 257 with type 1 DM and 147 with type 2 DM. Main outcome measures were rates of prematurity, macrosomia, instrumental deliveries, congenital malformations, need for neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), and perinatal mortality. Results. There were no significant differences in pregnancy outcome between women with type 1 and type 2 DM, except for an increased rate of instrumental deliveries in women with type 1 DM. In these women, duration of diabetes was a significant predictor of caesarean delivery (OR =1.06 (1.01–1.12); p = 0.02). Chronic hypertension was positively related to prematurity (p = 0.02), and proved to be a significant predictor of birth weight lower than 2,500 g (OR =3.54 (1.4–12.49); p = 0.043) and perinatal mortality (OR =10.6 (1.15–117.6); p = 0.04). In women with type 2 DM, third trimester higher glycosylated haemoglobin was related to both prematurity (OR 4.9 (1.7–14.4; p = 0.004) and low birth weight. Macrosomia was a significant risk factor for caesarean section. First trimester glycosylated haemoglobin was related to congenital malformations and proved to be a significant predictor of perinatal mortality (OR =2.4 (1.02–5.74); p = 0.04). Conclusions. Duration of DM and chronic hypertension were the most influential factors related to adverse perinatal outcomes in women with type 1 DM, and poor metabolic control and macrosomia in women with type 2 DM.