PURPOSE

The objective of this study was to explore whether neck circumference can serve as an early predictor of the risk of Gestational Diabetes (GDM).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 318 singleton pregnant women who underwent routine prenatal examinations at Qinhuangdao Maternal and Child Health Hospital from September 2017 to September 2020 were selected and categorized into the GDM group and the normal glucose tolerance group (NGT) based on the results of the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) conducted during the second trimester. The general information and laboratory test results were compared and analyzed. Inter-group comparison was conducted using the -test, and multivariate logistic regression analysis was employed to analyze the independent risk factors of GDM. The predictive threshold of various indicators for GDM occurrence during pregnancy was determined using the subject's work curve.

RESULTS

The GDM group exhibited significantly higher levels of pre-pregnancy weight, pre-pregnancy BMI, neck circumference, waist circumference, hip circumference, triglycerides (TG), uric acid (UA), TG/HDL-C ratio, and waist-hip ratio compared to the NGT group. Additionally, HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) levels were significantly lower in the GDM group, and blood glucose levels at each point of the OGTT were markedly higher compared to the NGT group (P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that neck circumference (OR=1.239, P<0.001) and early pregnancy TG (OR=1.842, P<0.001) were independent risk factors for GDM. The receiver operating characteristic analysis demonstrated that the optimal critical value of neck circumference for predicting GDM was 32.6 cm, with a sensitivity of 50% and specificity of 74.3%.

CONCLUSION

The neck circumference during early pregnancy was found to be related to GDM, and the predictive cutoff point of 32.6 cm for neck circumference could be employed as a simple index to predict GDM in early pregnancy.