First trimester maternal BMI is a positive predictor of cord blood c-peptide levels while maternal visfatin levels is a negative predictor of birth weight.

Objective: The role of first trimester maternal body mass index (BMI) and adipocytokines in cord blood c-peptide and birth weight in pregnancy was investigated.

Design: Seventy non-diabetic pregnant Caucasian women were recruited. Anthropometry and measurements of fasting adipocytokines (visfatin, leptin, adiponectin), insulin and glucose were performed in each of the three trimesters. At birth, birth weight and cord blood c-peptide, glucose, insulin, visfatin, leptin, adiponectin and IL6 in each neonate were measured.

Results: First trimester maternal BMI correlated positively with cord blood c-peptide (p=0.035, r=0.74) and negatively with cord blood visfatin (p=0.049, r=-0.67). First trimester HOMAR was negatively correlated with cord blood visfatin (p=0.037, r=-0.90) and negatively with cord blood leptin (p=0.031, r=0.90). First trimester maternal BMI was a positive predictor of cord blood c-peptide (p=0.007). First trimester maternal visfatin levels were negative predictors of birth weight (p=0.017).

Conclusions: We conclude that first trimester maternal BMI and serum visfatin seem to be strongly associated with fetal insulin secretion and final birth weight, respectively, suggesting a role of early-pregnancy maternal adipose tissue in the pregnancy metabolic environment.