Higher Numbers of Pregnancies Associated With an Increased Prevalence of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: Results From the Healthy Baby Cohort Study

Abstract

Background: Pregnancy leads to substantial maternal metabolic and lifestyle alterations. However, it is still unclear whether repeated exposure to these changes will influence the development of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). In the present study, we aimed to investigate the association between the number of pregnancies and GDM among Chinese women. Methods: A total of 7,008 subjects from the Healthy Baby Cohort study were included in this study. The number of pregnancies was classified into three categories: 1, 2, or ≥3 pregnancies. GDM was diagnosed using International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups criteria. Multivariate logistic regression models were used. Results: In the fully adjusted model, women with ≥3 pregnancies had a 1.27-fold (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05-1.54) higher risk of GDM. Among women ≥30 years old, 2 and ≥3 pregnancies were associated with a higher risk of GDM (odds ratio [OR] 1.32; 95% CI, 1.01-1.73 and OR 1.54; 95% CI, 1.17-2.01, respectively). Among women with a pre-pregnancy BMI <24 kg=m 2 , ≥3 pregnancies were associated with a 1.35-fold (95% CI, 1.09-1.67) higher risk of GDM. Conclusions: Our findings suggested that higher numbers of pregnancies is an independent risk factor of GDM. The association between number of pregnancies and GDM was more prominent among women who were ≥30 years old or with a pre-pregnancy BMI <24 kg=m 2 .

Pregnancy-Related Complications in Women with Recurrent Pregnancy Loss: A Prospective Cohort Study

“…A possible explanation for this finding could be that women with secondary RPL have been more exposed than women with primary RPL to the well-known diabetogenic effect of pregnancy that is exerted mainly in the second half of pregnancy, making them more susceptible for GDM in a successive pregnancy. This possibility is also supported by recent observation showing the association between high numbers of pregnancies and the increased prevalence of GDM [33].…”

Knowledge of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Among Adult Females in Al Qassim Province, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…The present study shows that only 25% of participants knew that increased pregnancies would intensify the risk of gestational diabetes development. A study conducted in Wuhan, China, stated that women with more than three pregnancies and women older than 30 with two or three pregnancies had an increased risk of developing gestational diabetes [ 23 ]. However, no significant association was observed between increased pregnancies and the development of gestational diabetes in a study conducted in Turkey [ 24 ].…”

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Confirmed Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Among Pregnant Women With Prior Positive Screening: A Case-Control Study

“…In our study, 40% of participants experienced a minimum of five pregnancies, with 26% having at least five childbirths, implying high gravidity and parity among women at an elevated risk of GDM. Specifically, women with three or more pregnancies are 1.27 times more likely to develop GDM, with the odds increasing to 1.32-fold for women aged 30 or older with two or more pregnancies [ 18 ]. Correspondingly, multiparity, a known risk factor for GDM, shows a steady increase in incidence from 3.5% in nulliparous women to 14.6% in women having given birth to four or more children [ 19 ].…”