INFLUENCE OF DIABETES DURING PREGNANCY ON GESTATIONAL AGE-SPECIFIC NEWBORN WEIGHT AMONG US BLACK AND US WHITE INFANTS

This study examined the impact of maternal diabetes on birth weight fo r gestational age patterns of all term black infants and white infants in the United States using data derived from the 1990-1991 US Live Bi rth File of the National Center for Health Statistics. Infants of both black mothers and white mothers exhibited the expected fetal overgrow th associated with maternal diabetes. However, the increase in birth w eight was much greater in infants of black than white diabetic mothers in comparison with their nondiabetic counterparts, as measured by the discrepancy in birth weight between infants of diabetic and nondiabet ic mothers at each gestational week, the incidence of large for gestat ional age, high birth weight, small for gestational age, and low birth weight. After adjustment for maternal hypertension, prenatal care use , and sociodemographic factors, the disparity in mean birth weight ass ociated with diabetes was 211.67 g in black infants and 115.74 g in wh ite infants. The adjusted odds ratios of birth weight greater than or equal to 4,000 g were 2.98 (95% confidence interval 2.89-3.12) for bla ck infants and 1.83 (95% confidence interval 1.79-1.89) for white infa nts. Given the potential risks for mothers and infants consequent to m aternal diabetes and fetal hyperinsulinemia, further investigation of the prevalence, characteristics, and outcomes of diabetes during pregn ancy among black mothers and infants is warranted.