The prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus has markedly been increasing in a universally screened urban Chinese female population and has become an important public health problem in China.

Aims Few studies have evaluated the effect of weight change from pre-pregnancy to post partum with the risk of cardiometabolic diseases among women with a history of gestational diabetes mellitus. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between weight change from pre-pregnancy to 1–5 years post partum with metabolic syndrome among Chinese women with prior gestational diabetes mellitus. Methods We performed a retrospective cohort study in 1263 women with gestational diabetes mellitus at 1–5 years post partum. Participants were divided into four groups based on their weight change from pre-pregnancy to 1–5 years post partum: loss of ≥ 3 kg, ± 3 kg, gain of 3–7 kg and gain of ≥7 kg. Results The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 12.1%, 16.2%, 26.0% and 44.3% among women with weight loss ≥ 3 kg, stable weight (± 3 kg), weight gain 3–7 kg and weight gain ≥ 7 kg from pre-pregnancy to post partum, respectively. The positive association between weight change and metabolic syndrome was observed among women with pre-pregnancy normal weight (BMI < 24 kg/m2), overweight (BMI 24–27.9 kg/m2) and obesity (BMI ≥ 28 kg/m2). The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was almost similar among pre-pregnancy normal weight women with weight gain ≥ 7 kg, pre-pregnancy overweight women with stable weight (± 3 kg) and pre-pregnancy obese women with weight loss ≥3 kg from pre-pregnancy to post partum (P = 0.62). Conclusions Women with gestational diabetes mellitus who had large weight gain from pre-pregnancy to post partum were more likely to develop metabolic syndrome. Women who are pre-pregnancy overweight/obesity and also diagnosed as gestational diabetes mellitus during pregnancy need more weight control after delivery.

Aims We aimed to examine the association of gestational hypertension and chronic hypertension at the inter-conception examination with Type 2 diabetes risk among women with a history of gestational diabetes. Methods We conducted a population-based study among 1261 women who had a history of gestational diabetes at 1–5 years after delivery in Tianjin, China. Logistic regression or Cox regression was used to assess the associations of gestational hypertension and chronic hypertension at the inter-conception examination with pre-diabetes and Type 2 diabetes risks. Results Gestational diabetic women who had a history of gestational hypertension but did not use antihypertensive drugs during pregnancy had a 3.94-fold higher risk (95% CI: 1.94–8.02) of developing type 2 diabetes compared with those who were normotensive in index pregnancy. Compared with gestational diabetic women who had normal blood pressure at the inter-conception examination, hypertensive women at the inter-conception examination were 3.38 times (95% CI: 1.66–6.87) and 2.97 times (95% CI: 1.75–5.05) more likely to develop diabetes and prediabetes, respectively. The odds ratios of Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes associated with each 5 mmHg increase in systolic blood pressure were 1.25 (95% CI: 1.03–1.51) and 1.20 (95% CI: 1.06–1.35). Each 5 mmHg increase in diastolic blood pressure contributed to a 1.49-fold higher risk (95% CI: 1.18–1.88) for Type 2 diabetes and a 1.42-fold higher risk (95% CI: 1.22–1.65) for prediabetes. Conclusions For women with prior gestational diabetes, gestational hypertension and chronic hypertension at the inter-conception examination were risk factors for Type 2 diabetes.

The occurrence pattern of stereotypic behavior in high-parity confined sows is still unclear. We continually observed the behavioral changes in activity-restricted sows from the first mating to the end of the third parity. The results showed that the second- or third-parity weaned sows exhibited more vacuum chewing and total oral behavior than the first-parity sows. The vacuum chewing of sows in the second and third pregnancies was significantly more than that of the first-pregnancy sows at each stage of pregnancy, and the total oral behavior changed similarly. The sitting of sows in the second and third pregnancies was significantly more than that of the first-pregnancy sows in the early stage of pregnancy, whereas sitting behavior in the third pregnancy was significantly more than that in the middle stages of the first and second pregnancies. Vacuum chewing or sitting was positively correlated with confinement duration. In summary, vacuum chewing and sitting behaviors in sows confined from the first mating were significantly affected by parity. From the late stage of the first pregnancy to the middle stage of the second pregnancy is the key period of stereotypic behavior development for low-parity sows.