EP03.02: Measurement of visceral adipose tissue during pregnancy are correlated with birthweight: preliminary results: Electronic Poster Abstracts

To evaluate if two different ultrasound measures of maternal visceral adipose tissue (VAT) during pregnancy is correlated to birth weight. We performed the ultrasound measurement of VAT in a low risk outpatient setting all along the pregnancy. They were followed until delivery. After 20 weeks VAT was measured from maternal superficial liver left lobe to linea alba with the probe placed at central epigastric region. In the first twenty weeks of pregnancy, beside the technique cited, we performed the measurement of space from maternal inner border of the rectus abdominis muscle, at the level of the linea alba, to the anterior wall of the abdominal aorta with the probe sagittally placed at 2cm above umbilical scar. The observed birthweight was standardised according expected weight from Hadlock's reference tables in a z-score. Prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) was obtained from current height and the first weight registered in the pregnancy chart. Pregnant age was 25yo ± 6.1yo, 47% Caucasians, 42% with adequate weight, 36% overweight and 21% obese. The mean visceral fat measured in periumbilical region (n = 37) was 45.7 ± 16.7 mm and measured at the epigastric region (n = 69) was 11,5 ± 4.4 mm. Mean prepregnant BMI was 26.7 ± 5.7 kg/m2. In the overall sample, 89.1% deliveries occurred at term and the mean birth weight was 3.225 ± 551 grams. The Spearman correlation between birth weight and VAT measured at the periumbilical region was -0.33 (p<0.05); epigastric region -0.31 (p<0.01) and prepregnant BMI was -0.25 (p< 0.05). Newborn weight z-score was negatively correlated with both measures of VAT and with BMI values; however, the performance of ultrasound was better than the traditional maternal BMI. Our results reproduce in a low-risk setting previous reports from high-risk setting about periumbilical VAT predicting pregnancy outcomes better than BMI. Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.