Association of Elevated Maternal Serum Total Bile Acids With Low Birth Weight and Intrauterine Fetal Growth Restriction

IMPORTANCE Bile acids play essential roles in metabolic modulation. Excessive serum total bile acid (sTBA) levels during pregnancy are associated with adverse perinatal outcomes; however, their association with the risk of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) remains unclear. OBJECTIVE To investigate the association between maternal sTBA concentration during pregnancy and the risk of IUGR. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This retrospective cohort study included pregnant individuals who delivered live singleton neonates and had regular antenatal examination records available at a hospital-based center in Shanghai, China, from 2014 to 2018. Data were analyzed from July to November 2020. EXPOSURES Maternal sTBA concentration during pregnancy. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Fetal birth weight and probability of low birth weight (LBW) and IUGR. RESULTS This study included 68 245 singleton pregnancies with live births for analysis. The mean (SD) age of the pregnant individuals was 30.5 (3.8) years, 67 168 patients (98.4%) were Han, and 50 155 (73.5%) were nulliparous. Nonlinear regression models suggested that there was an inverted J-shaped association between maternal sTBA level during pregnancy and fetal birth weight, with a steep decrease in birth weight at high sTBA levels (estimated mean [SE] birth weight for sTBA of 40.8 ug/mL, 2879 [39.9] g) and greater birth weights at lower sTBA levels (estimated mean [SE] birth weight for sTBA 0.4 mu g/mL, 3290 [3.9] g; and for 4.1 mu g/mL, 3334 [1.6] g). Lower birth weight and a higher incidence of IUGR were observed in patients with gestational hypercholanemia (sTBA similar to 4.08 mu g/mL) compared with those without gestational hypercholanemia (birth weight: estimated adjusted mean [SE], 3309 [3.32] vs 3338 [0.80] g; P=.005; incidence of IUGR: 62 of 4467 [1.4%] vs 312 of 63 778 [0.5%]; P<.001). Moreover, compared with patients with sTBA concentrations of less than 4.08 mu g/mL, those with gestational hypercholanemia had an increased risk of LBW (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.29; 95% CI, 1.09-1.53) and IUGR (aOR, 2.18; 95% CI, 1.62-2.91). In addition, there was an additive interaction between hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (HDP) and hypercholanemia on LBW and IUGR risk. The highest risks of LBW and IUGR were found in pregnant individuals with both HDP and hypercholanemia compared with those with normotensive pregnancies with sTBA concentrations less than 4.08 mu g/mL (LBW: aOR, 9.13; 95% CI, 6.88-12.12; IUGR: aOR, 19.14; 95% CI, 12.09-30.28). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE This study found that gestational hypercholanemia was associated with an increased risk of LBW and IUGR, especially in pregnant individuals with HDP. Therefore, it would be meaningful to monitor sTBA concentration during the follow-up of pregnancies with potential IUGR.

Automated summary

This study found that gestational hypercholanemia was associated with an increased risk of LBW and IUGR, especially in pregnant individuals with hypertensive disorders in pregnancy. Monitoring sTBA concentration during the follow-up of pregnancies with potential IUGR could be meaningful.