Cord blood glycosylated (glycated) hemoglobin: correlation with maternal glycosylated (glycated) hemoglobin and birth weight.

Maternal and cord blood glycosylated hemoglobin levels were measured by an affinity chromatographic method in three groups: normal women (nondiabetic women who gave birth to infants that were normal for gestational age); test women (women who had no evidence of glucose intolerance with screening procedures and who gave birth to large-for-gestational age infants); and women with gestational diabetes. In all cases the level of cord blood glycosylated hemoglobin was approximately 40% less than the corresponding maternal blood levels, and no correlation could be detected between maternal and cord blood concentrations. The reference range for glycosylated hemoglobin in the normal maternal population was similar to that for nonpregnant adults. There was no significant difference in cord and maternal glycosylated hemoglobin levels among the three groups, although a slight upward trend was detected in the diabetic group. There was a lack of correlation of cord and maternal glycosylated hemoglobin with birth weight in all three groups. The implications of these findings are discussed in respect to the usefulness of cord and maternal glycosylated hemoglobin in retrospective screening for gestational diabetes.