Researchers from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Baskent University recently published a study in the Journal of Maternal, Fetal and Neonatal Medicine investigating the impact of maternal lipid levels on birth weight. Lipids were measured in the first trimester of pregnancy.
Four hundred thirty-three women were included in the study. All participants agreed to give blood samples subsequently tested for blood glucose level, triglycerides, cholesterol, VLD lipoprotein, LD lipoprotein and HD lipoprotein. Blood samples were also tested for human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) and pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A). After birth, length and BMI were used to determine small for gestational age (SGA) and large for gestational age (LGA) status.
After taking all confounding factors into consideration, only PAPP-A played an important role in birth weight. Infants with lower than normal PAPP-A levels were more likely to be born into the SGA group.
Source: Ayse Parlakgumus H Asist Prof, Caglar Aytac P, Kalayci H, Tarim E Prof. First Trimester Maternal Lipid Levels and Serum Markers of Small and Large-For-Gestational Age Infants. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2013 Apr 26.