Maternal lipid profile in pregnancy and embryonic growth: a
population-based prospective cohort study.
Abstract
Objective To investigate the association between the maternal lipid
profile in early pregnancy and embryonic growth. Design Prospective
population-based cohort study. Setting Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Population We included 1474 women from the Generation R(otterdam) Study.
Methods The maternal lipid profile was defined as total cholesterol,
triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c),
low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), remnant cholesterol,
non-high-density (non-HDL-c) lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations and
the triglycerides/high-density lipoprotein (TG/HDL-c) ratio.
Additionally, maternal glucose concentrations were assessed.
Associations were studied with linear regression models, adjusted for
confounding factors: maternal age, pre-pregnancy BMI, parity,
educational level, ethnicity, smoking and folic acid supplement use Main
Outcome Measures Crown-rump length (CRL). Results Triglycerides and
remnant cholesterol concentrations are positively associated with
embryonic growth (fully adjusted models, 0.17 SDS: 95% CI 0.03 ; 0.30,
and 0.17 SDS: 95% CI 0.04 ; 0.31, respectively). These associations
were not present in women with normal weight (triglycerides and remnant
cholesterol: fully adjusted model, 0.44 SDS: 95% CI 0.15 ; 0.72).
Associations between maternal lipid concentrations and embryonic growth
were not attenuated after adjustment for glucose concentrations. Total
cholesterol, HDL-c, LDL-c, non-HDL-c concentrations and the TG/HDL-c
ratio were not associated with embryonic growth. Conclusions Higher
triglycerides and remnant cholesterol concentrations in early pregnancy
are associated with increased embryonic growth, most notably in
overweight women. Keywords Pregnancy, Cholesterol, Low-density
lipoprotein (LDL-c), High-density lipoprotein (HDL-c), Triglycerides,
Intrauterine development, Fetal growth, Early pregnancy Tweetable
abstract The maternal lipid profile in pregnancy is associated with
embryonic growth.