Association of Maternal Total Cholesterol With SGA or LGA Birth at Term: the Japan Environment and Children's Study

Abstract

Context: Maternal cholesterol is important for fetal development. Whether maternal serum total cholesterol (maternal TC) levels in midpregnancy are associated with small (SGA) or large (LGA) for gestational age independent of prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) and weight gain during pregnancy is inconclusive.

Objective: This work aimed to prospectively investigate the association between maternal TC in midpregnancy and SGA or LGA.

Methods: The Japan Environment and Children's Study is a nationwide prospective birth cohort study in Japan. Participants in this study included 37 449 nondiabetic, nonhypertensive mothers with singleton birth at term without congenital abnormalities. Birth weight for gestational age less than the 10th percentile and greater than or equal to the 90th percentile were respectively defined as SGA and LGA by the Japanese neonatal anthropometric charts.

Results: The mean gestational age at blood sampling was 22.7 ± 4.0 weeks. After adjustment for maternal age, sex of child, parity, weight gain during pregnancy, prepregnancy BMI, smoking, alcohol drinking, blood glucose levels, household income, and study areas, 1-SD decrement of maternal TC was linearly associated with SGA (odds ratio [OR]: 1.20; 95% CI, 1.15-1.25). In contrast, 1-SD increment of maternal TC was linearly associated with LGA (OR: 1.13; 95% CI, 1.09-1.16). Associations did not differ according to prepregnancy BMI and gestational weight gain (P for interaction > .20).

Conclusion: Maternal TC levels in midpregnancy were associated with SGA or LGA in a Japanese cohort. It may help to predict SGA and LGA. Favorable maternal lipid profiles for fetal development must be explored.

Keywords: birth cohort; large for gestational age; maternal total cholesterol; small for gestational age.