Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2014 Nov;25(6):805-10.
doi: 10.1097/EDE.0000000000000167.

Preterm birth and subsequent risk of type 2 diabetes in black women

Tamarra James-Todd  1 , Lauren Wise, Deborah Boggs, Janet Rich-Edwards, Lynn Rosenberg, Julie Palmer
Affiliations

Preterm birth and subsequent risk of type 2 diabetes in black women

Tamarra James-Todd et al. Epidemiology. 2014 Nov.

Abstract

Background: Gestational diabetes is a precursor to type 2 diabetes. Little is known about the relation of other common pregnancy complications, such as preterm birth, to risk of type 2 diabetes.

Methods: We assessed preterm birth in relation to incident type 2 diabetes among 31,101 participants from the Black Women's Health Study. Preterm birth, defined as <37 weeks gestation, was reported at baseline (1995) and on subsequent biennial follow-up questionnaires. Self-reported type 2 diabetes diagnoses were ascertained on biennial questionnaires through 2009. We used Cox proportional hazards models to calculate incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), adjusting for potential confounders.

Results: At baseline, 5162 participants (19%) reported a history of giving birth preterm, of which 16% occurred at <32 weeks gestation. A total of 3261 cases of type 2 diabetes were ascertained during follow-up. Ever having had a preterm birth was associated with a 20% increased risk (95% CI = 1.11-1.31) after adjusting for age at first birth, family history of diabetes, education, respondent having been born preterm, and body mass index. Gestational age <32 weeks was associated with the greatest risk (IRR = 1.27 [95% CI = 1.06-1.51]). Among women without a history of gestational diabetes, the IRR for type 2 diabetes among women who ever had a preterm birth was 1.17 (1.07-1.28).

Conclusion: Preterm birth was associated with an increased type 2 diabetes risk in black mothers, independent of gestational diabetes.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Rich-Edwards JW, McElrath TF, Karumanchi SA, Seely EW. Breathing life into the lifecourse approach: pregnancy history and cardiovascular disease in women. Hypertension. 2010 Sep;56(3):331–4. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Catov JM, Dodge R, Yamal JM, Roberts JM, Piller LB, Ness RB. Prior preterm or small-for-gestational-age birth related to maternal metabolic syndrome. Obstet Gynecol. 2011 Feb;117(2 Pt 1):225–32. - PMC - PubMed
    1. James-Todd TM, Karumanchi SA, Mason SM, Hibert EL, Vadnais V, Hu FB, et al. Gestation Length, Birth Weight for First Pregnancy and Subsequent Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in Mothers: A Prospective Study. Preventing Chronic Disease. 2013 In Press. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Lykke JA, Langhoff-Roos J, Sibai BM, Funai EF, Triche EW, Paidas MJ. Hypertensive pregnancy disorders and subsequent cardiovascular morbidity and type 2 diabetes mellitus in the mother. Hypertension. 2009 Jun;53(6):944–51. - PubMed
    1. Lykke JA, Paidas MJ, Damm P, Triche EW, Kuczynski E, Langhoff-Roos J. Preterm delivery and risk of subsequent cardiovascular morbidity and type-II diabetes in the mother. BJOG. 2010 Feb;117(3):274–81. - PubMed

Publication types