Differences in maternal and neonatal cardiometabolic markers and placenta status by foetal sex. The GESTAFIT project
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Aparicio García-Molina, Virginia; Baena García, Laura; De la Flor Alemany, Marta; Martínez González, Luis Javier; Varela López, Alfonso; Sánchez González, Cristina; Quiles Morales, José LuisEditorial
SAGE
Materia
Fibroblast Growth Factor Lipids Newborn Pregnancy Telomere Triglycerides
Date
2022-08-20Referencia bibliográfica
Aparicio VA... [et al.]. Differences in maternal and neonatal cardiometabolic markers and placenta status by foetal sex. The GESTAFIT project. Women’s Health. 2022;18. doi:[10.1177/17455057221117976]
Sponsorship
Regional Ministry of Health, Junta de Andalucia PI-0395-2016; University of Granada; Junta de Andalucia; European Commission SOMM17/6107/UGR; Plan Propio de Investigacion 2016, Excellence actions (Units of Excellence: Unit of Excellence in Exercise and Health)Abstract
Aims: To explore the differences in some maternal-neonatal metabolic markers and placenta status by foetal sex.
Methods: One hundred thirty-nine Caucasian pregnant women from the GESTAFIT project and their new-borns
were included in the present cross-sectional study. Serum cardiometabolic markers (i.e. lipid and glycaemic profile
and uric acid) were analysed at late pregnancy and at birth. In placenta, telomeres length, proportion of deleted
mitochondrial-DNA and mitochondrial-DNA density, some minerals and interleukin 8, epidermal growth factor,
fibroblast growth factor-2 and vascular endothelial growth factor were measured. The study was run between
November 2015 and April 2018.
Results: Mothers carrying a male showed higher serum triglycerides than mothers carrying a female at late pregnancy
(p < .05). Serum total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were greater in males’ umbilical cord blood artery
compared to females’ new-borns (both, p < .05). Mothers of males and male new-borns presented higher uric acid than
mothers of females and female new-borns at birth (p < .05). Female’s placentas presented greater placental-newborn
weight ratio, manganese content and fibroblast growth factor-2 (all, p ⩽ .05), and evidence of statistical significance in
telomeres length, which were 17% longer (p = .076).
Conclusion: Our findings show weak differences in some cardiometabolic and placental status markers by foetal sex.
Notwithstanding, we observed a slightly more proatherogenic profile in both, mothers carrying males’ foetuses and male
new-borns. We also found lower serum uric acid and better placenta status in mothers carrying a female. These findings
indicate that foetal sex might need to be considered for a more personalized follow-up of pregnancies.