Fetal Growth Trajectories and Measures of Insulin Resistance in Young Adults

Context Events during gestation greatly influence the risk of cardiometabolic diseases including diabetes in offspring during later life. Objective This study aimed to investigate relationships between serial ultrasound-derived fetal growth trajectories and markers of insulin resistance in young adults in the Raine Study, an Australian pregnancy cohort. Methods Linear mixed modeling examined the relationship between fetal growth trajectory groups, constructed using serial ultrasound-based abdominal circumference (AC), femur length (FL), and head circumference (HC) from 1333 mother-fetal pairs, and offspring Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR), as a marker of diabetes risk, at 20 (n = 414), 22 (n = 385), and 27 (n = 431) years. Analyses were adjusted for age, sex, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, adult lifestyle factors, and maternal factors during pregnancy. Results The study identified 7 AC, 5 FL, and 5 HC growth trajectory groups. Compared to the average-stable (reference) group, a low-falling AC growth trajectory (26%; P = .005) and 2 low HC growth trajectories (20%; P = .006% and 8%; P = .021) were associated with higher adult HOMA-IR. Trajectories representing a high-stable FL and a rising HC were associated with 12% (P = .002) and 9% (P = .021) lower adult HOMA-IR, respectively, compared to the reference group. Conclusion Restricted fetal HC and AC from early pregnancy are associated with higher relative insulin resistance in the offspring during adulthood. These data strengthen our understanding of the importance of the intrauterine environment and its effect on the risk of predisposition to adult diabetes and related metabolic disorders.

Automated summary

This study investigated the relationship between serial ultrasound-derived fetal growth trajectories and markers of insulin resistance in young adults in an Australian pregnancy cohort. The study found that restricted fetal head circumference and abdominal circumference from early pregnancy are associated with higher relative insulin resistance in offspring during adulthood. These findings enhance our understanding of the importance of the intrauterine environment and its impact on the risk of adult diabetes and related metabolic disorders.