Association of Maternal Overweight/Obesity Metabolic Phenotypes With Longitudinal Foetal Anthropometric Measurements
Authors' conclusion
Early-pregnancy maternal overweight/obesity metabolic phenotypes are associated with foetal growth. MHO and MUO increase EFW and AC overgrowth risks, while MUO also raises HC undergrowth risk. Conversely, MUNW is associated with a reduced HC Z-score, a pathway mediated by GDM.
Study context
- Population
- Pregnant women in a Chinese prospective cohort, classified in early pregnancy; ≥1 ultrasound scan between 22 and 36 weeks
- Participants
- 7,633 women
- Exposure
- Maternal overweight/obesity metabolic phenotypes vs metabolically healthy normal weight (MHNW)
- Outcome
- Foetal anthropometric measurements (repeated ultrasound measures)
- Follow-up
- 22–36 weeks
Methodological detailsgeneralised linear mixed models, mediation analyses
- Generalised linear mixed models
- Mediation analyses
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Foetal anthropometric measurements
Each group vs MHNWOdds ratio (95% CI)
MUOHC undergrowth
1.22(1.00–1.48)
- Metabolically unhealthy normal weight (MUNW) · foetal head circumference (HC) Z-score
- β −0.05 (95% CI −0.10 to 0.00)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) mediation of MUNW association with reduced foetal HC Z-scores · 28-32 and 33-36 weeks
- Mediation proportion, 28-32 weeks
- 11.2%
- Mediation proportion, 33-36 weeks
- 16.1%
Original publication
Association of Maternal Overweight/Obesity Metabolic Phenotypes With Longitudinal Foetal Anthropometric Measurements. Diabetes Obes Metab. Published 16 July 2026. doi:10.
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