Table 2.
Baseline characteristics, anthropometrics, and laboratory measures during pregnancy for the 310 mothers who remained in the PREOBE trial at delivery
| Time | N | Normal weight n = 128 | Overweight n = 54 | Obese n = 52 | Gestational diabetes n = 76 | P | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Background | |||||||
| Age (y) | 20 wk | 310 | 30.9 ± 4.2 | 32.0 ± 4.2 | 29.5 ± 7.8 | 33.7 ± 4.6a | <0.001 |
| Parity (>1) | – | 306 | 55 (43.3 %) | 24 (45.3 %) | 28 (53.8 %) | 35 (47.3 %) | 0.637 |
| Smoking during pregnancy | – | 268 | 17 (14.4 %) | 5 (10.2 %) | 7 (15.6 %) | 7 (12.3 %) | 0.850 |
| Alcohol during pregnancy | – | 270 | 6 (5.1 %) | 1 (2.0 %) | 1 (2.2 %) | 3 (5.3 %) | 0.692 |
| Education at university-level | – | 306 | 68 (53.5 %) | 22 (41.5 %) | 11 (21.2 %)a | 27 (36.5 %) | <0.001 |
| Supplements during pregnancy | |||||||
| Iron supplementation | – | 280 | 46 (36.2 %) | 13 (28.9 %) | 10 (21.7 %) | 28 (45.2 %) | 0.065 |
| Folic acid supplementation | – | 260 | 115 (92.7 %) | 38 (84.4 %) | 32 (76.2 %)a | 43 (87.8 %) | 0.036 |
| B12 supplementation | – | 259 | 64 (51.6 %) | 22 (48.9 %) | 22 (52.4 %) | 35 (72.8 %)a | 0.055 |
| Anthropometrics | |||||||
| Pre-gestational BMI (kg/m2) | 0 wk | 310 | 22.0 ± 1.7 | 23.7 ± 1.3a | 33.3 ± 2.8a | 27.7 ± 6.2a | <0.001 |
| Weight (kg) | 0 wk | 310 | 59.1 ± 5.6 | 72.3 ± 6.0a | 87.3 ± 9.1a | 72.5 ± 18.3a | <0.001 |
| delivery | 209 | 72.0 ± 8.8 | 82.2 ± 7.8a | 94.8 ± 11.3a | 77.9 ± 16.1a | <0.001 | |
| Weight gain during pregnancy (kg) | delivery | 209 | 12.5 ± 6.1 | 10.3 ± 5.2 | 7.2 ± 6.9a | 6.9 ± 8.2a | <0.001 |
| Iron status | |||||||
| Ferritin (μg/l) | 24 wk | 240 | 18.3 (10–26) | 18.3 (10–28) | 22.7 (16–41)a | 23.0 (18–30) | 0.033 |
| 34 wk | 299 | 15.7 (9–21) | 12.0 (9–19) | 12.8 (9–18) | 16.4 (11–29) | 0.011 | |
| delivery | 199 | 21.0 (16–33) | 19.6 (16–26) | 17.4 (15–22) | 22.0 (18–46) | 0.005 | |
| TS (%) | 24 wk | 242 | 18.9 ± 8.6 | 16.6 ± 6.3 | 15.3 ± 5.4a | 20.3 ± 7.7 | 0.009 |
| 34 wk | 300 | 17.1 ± 10.9 | 14.9 ± 7.9 | 12.5 ± 5.2a | 19.0 ± 13.7 | 0.006 | |
| delivery | 200 | 17.6 ± 12.4 | 16.4 ± 11.9 | 13.9 ± 6.0 | 17.4 ± 8.4 | 0.376 | |
| Hb (g/l) | 24 wk | 222 | 12.6 ± 1.6 | 12.4 ± 1.7 | 12.1 ± 0.4 | 11.6 ± 0.8 | 0.136 |
| 34 wk | 288 | 11.8 ± 1.2 | 11.5 ± 1.5 | 11.6 ± 0.8 | 11.8 ± 1.1 | 0.421 | |
| delivery | 199 | 12.6 ± 2.0 | 11.4 ± 1.4a | 11.4 ± 1.4a | 11.6 ± 1.7a | <0.001 | |
| MCV (fl) | 24 wk | 222 | 88.9 ± 4.4 | 88.9 ± 4.7 | 88.0 ± 4.1 | 89.3 ± 4.3 | 0.617 |
| 34 wk | 288 | 87.3 ± 5.5 | 87.0 ± 5.4 | 85.4 ± 4.1 | 86.6 ± 5.1 | 0.193 | |
| delivery | 198 | 86.2 ± 6.9 | 84.6 ± 5.3 | 84.1 ± 5.3 | 87.7 ± 4.9 | 0.036 | |
| Vitamins | |||||||
| Vitamin B12 (pg/ml) | 24 wk | 59 | 321 ± 124 | 262 ± 76 | 309 ± 136 | 0.156 | |
| 34 wk | 87 | 257 ± 91 | 248 ± 68 | 307 ± 101 | 0.012 | ||
| delivery | 59 | 312 ± 98 | 221 ± 73a | 263 ± 90 | 0.037 | ||
| Folate (ng/ml)b | 24 wk | 242 | 15.3 (11.5–19.3) | 16.3 (10.5–19.7) | 14.4 (8.4–19.8) | 18.1 (13.4–20.0) | 0.212 |
| 34 wk | 300 | 14.8 (10.2–18.0) | 13.5 (7.4–19.2) | 11.4 (6.2–16.3)a | 18.2 (12.3–20.0)a | <0.001 | |
| delivery | 201 | 14.2 (9.1–18.3) | 10.1 (6.0–17.4) | 7.3 (5.0–14.6)a | 15.1 (9.6–19.0) | 0.001 | |
| Other biomarkers | |||||||
| Glucose (g/l) | 24 wk | 242 | 80.5 ± 16.6 | 87.3 ± 16.6 | 84.8 ± 16.7 | 97.2 ± 24.4a | <0.001 |
| 34 wk | 301 | 86.7 ± 18.6 | 88.0 ± 17.7 | 89.6 ± 17.8 | 93.5 ± 23.5 | 0.119 | |
| delivery | 201 | 82.7 ± 28.0 | 86.8 ± 23.7 | 96.9 ± 35.3 | 102.2 ± 33.8a | 0.002 | |
| Insulin (μU/ml) | 24 wk | 104 | 21.8 (6.6–39.1) | 36.5 (14.1–66.2) | 26.9 (16.9–54.3) | 21.0 (14.1–60.8) | 0.306 |
| 34 wk | 159 | 29.9 (12.9–51.4) | 38.9 (24.3–63.3) | 38.4 (22.8–71.0) | 24.5 (12.5–42.1) | 0.013 | |
| delivery | 110 | 10.0 (5.4–15.7) | 14.6 (10.7–27.5)a | 12.1 (6.7–23.0) | 0.008 | ||
| HbA1c (%) | 24 wk | 196 | 4.2 (4.0–4.4) | 4.5 (4.2–4.9)a | 4.8 (4.2–5.1)a | 5.1 (4.6–5.3)a | <0.001 |
| 34 wk | 258 | 4.5 (4.3–4.8) | 4.8 (4.4–5.4)a | 5.0 (4.5–4.4)a | 5.1 (4.7–5.5)a | <0.001 | |
| delivery | 180 | 4.6 (4.4–4.8) | 5.0 (4.7–4.3)a | 5.2 (4.5–5.5)a | 5.2 (4.9–4.5)a | <0.001 | |
| Uric acid (mg/dl) | 24 wk | 243 | 3.09 ± 0.62 | 3.06 ± 0.75 | 3.53 ± 0.72a | 3.08 ± 0.51 | <0.001 |
| 34 wk | 301 | 3.62 ± 0.77 | 3.59 ± 0.91 | 3.76 ± 0.69 | 3.87 ± 1.04 | 0.186 | |
| delivery | 200 | 4.55 ± 1.08 | 4.64 ± 1.41 | 4.64 ± 1.22 | 4.45 ± 0.96 | 0.843 | |
| Creatinine (mg/dl) | 24 wk | 230 | 0.60 ± 0.14 | 0.59 ± 0.10 | 0.56 ± 0.10 | 0.58 ± 0.09 | 0.239 |
| 34 wk | 301 | 0.61 ± 0.11 | 0.71 ± 0.62 | 0.59 ± 0.11 | 0.66 ± 0.15 | 0.087 | |
| delivery | 201 | 0.64 ± 0.11 | 0.69 ± 0.19 | 0.61 ± 0.13 | 0.68 ± 0.17 | 0.096 | |
| TSH (ng/ml) | 24 wk | 241 | 1.65 (0.98–2.08) | 1.37 (1.06–2.18) | 1.65 (1.11–2.32) | 1.56 (1.17–2.50) | 0.888 |
| 34 wk | 299 | 1.39 (1.05–2.04) | 1.34 (1.08–1.98) | 1.59 (0.89–2.17) | 1.39 (1.04–2.07) | 0.954 | |
| delivery | 200 | 2.24 (1.61–3.16) | 2.15 (1.66–2.88) | 2.09 (1.59–3.06) | 2.17 (1.43–2.92) | 0.781 | |
| CRP (mg/dl) | 24 wk | 71 | 0.27 (0.16–0.34) | 0.42 (0.17–0.53)a | 0.68 (0.35–0.90)a | <0.001 | |
| 34 wk | 121 | 0.79 (0.43–1.2) | 0.65 (0.39–1.0)a | 0.96 (0.66–2.5) | 0.005 | ||
| delivery | 89 | 0.56 (0.27–0.82) | 0.45 (0.28–0.83)a | 1.2 (0.52–2.9)a | 0.042 | ||
| ESR (mm) | 24 wk | 91 | 35.7 ± 16.7 | 47.6 ± 16.3a | 47.7 ± 14.3a | 49.4 ± 20.1a | 0.020 |
| 34 wk | 136 | 47.9 ± 25.9 | 60.8 ± 12.4 | 55.0 ± 11.6 | 53.2 ± 19.0 | 0.118 | |
| delivery | 103 | 39.6 ± 22.9 | 54.0 ± 22.9 | 47.3 ± 24.0 | 0.060 | ||
| Cortisol (μg/dl) | 24 wk | 104 | 21.0 ± 6.2 | 18.3 ± 5.7 | 17.1 ± 5.0a | 19.5 ± 5.4 | 0.050 |
| 34 wk | 160 | 22.6 ± 6.7 | 23.3 ± 6.4 | 23.3 ± 6.6 | 22.6 ± 7.1 | 0.934 | |
| delivery | 112 | 57.5 ± 26.5 | 42.0 ± 15.2a | 48.6 ± 18.2 | 0.007 | ||
Data are mean ± SD, n (%), or median (IQR) and p-values are ANOVA, Chi square test, or Kruskal Wallis rank sum test respectively
aSignificantly different from normal group in a multiple-comparison-adjusted-post hoc test (p-value was multiplied with the number of post hoc analyses [two or three])
bHighest detectable folate level was 20 ng/ml