Fetal gender is not associated with either gestational diabetes mellitus or placental weight: A cohort study

AimThis study assessed whether male fetal gender increases the risk of maternal gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and investigated the association with placental weight.MethodsThe study included 20,149 women without pregestational diabetes who delivered singletons at our hospital between January 2002 and December 2010. There was universal screening for GDM, and all placentas were weighed at delivery.ResultsGDM (affecting 14.2% of women) was not associated with fetal gender (male fetuses in women without and with GDM: 51.8% vs. 51.7%, respectively; P = 0.957), and remained likewise after logistic-regression analysis of risk factors for GDM (OR: 1.007, 95% CI: 0.930–1.091; P = 0.858). Placental weights were 600 ± 126 g, 596 ± 123 g, 584 ± 118 g and 587 ± 181 g in women with GDM/female, GDM/male, no GDM/female and no GDM/male fetuses, respectively (GDM effect: P = 0.017; gender effect: P = 0.41; GDM * gender effect: P = 0.16).ConclusionThe present results suggest that fetal gender is not associated with GDM and, while placental weights were higher in cases of GDM, there were still no gender effects.