Early-Pregnancy Intermediate Hyperglycemia and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes Among Women Without Gestational Diabetes

CONTEXT: Universal early-pregnancy screening for overt diabetes reveals intermediate hyperglycemia (fasting plasma glucose [FPG] [5.1-6.9 mM]). OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the association between early-pregnancy intermediate hyperglycemia and adverse pregnancy outcomes among women without gestational diabetes. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study was conducted at the Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Shanghai, China, from 2013 to 2017. All singleton pregnancies with FPG less than or equal to 6.9 mM in early pregnancy and receiving a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) were included. Women with prepregnancy diabetes were excluded. Individuals with normal OGTT were analyzed. Pregnancy outcomes for FPG less than 5.1 mM and intermediate hyperglycemia were evaluated. The primary outcomes were large for gestational age (LGA) and primary cesarean delivery. Multivariate logistic regressions were conducted. Statistical significance was defined as P less than .05. RESULTS: In total, 24 479 deliveries were included, of which 23 450 (95.8%) had normal OGTTs later in pregnancy (NGT). There were 807 (3.4%) women who had an FPG of 5.1 to 6.9 mM in early pregnancy. Compared to the NGT group with an FPG of less than 5.1 mM in early pregnancy (N = 20692), the intermediate hyperglycemia NGT group (N = 693) had a higher age and body mass index (BMI), and significantly higher rates of LGA, primary cesarean delivery, preterm birth, preeclampsia, and neonatal distress. The rates of primary cesarean delivery (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.24; 95% CI, 1.05-1.45), preterm birth (AOR 1.75; 95% CI, 1.29-2.36), and neonatal distress (AOR 3.29; 95% CI, 1.57-6.89) remained statistically significantly higher after adjustments for maternal age, BMI, and other potential confounding factors. CONCLUSION: Women with intermediate hyperglycemia in early pregnancy are at an increased risk for adverse maternal-fetal outcomes, even with normal future OGTTs.