Placental ghrelin and leptin expression and cord blood ghrelin, adiponectin, leptin, and C-peptide levels in severe maternal obesity

Figures & data

Table 1. Clinical characteristics of obese and normal-weight women and their offspring.

	Obese (n = 32)	Normal-weight (n = 32)	p Value
Women
Age (year)	29.9 ± 5.0	29.9 ± 5.3	1.000
Height (cm)	167 ± 8	166 ± 7	.811
Early pregnancy weight (kg)^a	110 ± 13	60 ± 6	<.001
Early pregnancy BMI (kg/m^2)^a	39.7 ± 4.1	22.0 ± 1.8	<.001
BMI at delivery (kg/m^2)	44.2 ± 5.3	26.6 ± 2.1	<.001
Gestational weight gain (kg)	12.7 ± 7.2	13.3 ± 1.6	.686
Random p-glucose (mmol/L)^b	5.6 ± 0.7	5.4 ± 0.5	.129
Multiparous (%)	75	75	1.000
Infants
Male (%)	66	50	.311
Gestational age (week)	40.2 ± 1.0	40.2 ± 1.0	.549
Weight (g)	3834 ± 499	3620 ± 414	.043
Weight z-scores	0.23 ± 1.05	−0.15 ± 0.68	.081
Length (cm)	51.0 ± 1.8	50.6 ± 2.2	.267
Head circumference (cm)	35.9 ± 1.1	34.8 ± 1.3	<.001

Data are means ± SD or proportions (%).

^a Early pregnancy weight was measured and BMI was calculated in gestational weeks 6–10.

^b The mean value of several random plasma glucose measurements was calculated for each subject.

Figure 1. Mean weight z-scores ± SEM from birth until 48 months of age in children born to obese (OB) and normal-weight (NW) mothers.

Figure 2. Box plots of ghrelin, adiponectin, leptin, and C-peptide concentrations in cord blood from children born to obese and normal-weight women. The boxes represent the interquartile range, the horizontal bars are the median, and whiskers are the range. *The leptin and the C-peptide concentrations were significantly higher in infants born to obese mothers (p = .016 and p = .027, respectively). OB: obese mother; NW: normal-weight mother.