Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Several studies have demonstrated associations of birth weight with metabolic and reproductive abnormalities in adults. The aim of this study was to investigate the birth weight in women with PCOS and its correlation with important clinical and biochemical parameters of the syndrome.

Patients and methods: We studied 288 women with PCOS according to the NIH criteria (1990) and 166 women with normal cycles and without clinical or biochemical hyperandrogenemia. Birth weight and anthropometric characteristics were recorded. After an overnight fast, androgens, sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), insulin and fasting glucose were measured.

Results: Information on birth weight was available for 224/288 women with PCOS and 75/166 controls. No differences were found (P>0.05) in birth weight, between women with PCOS (3228±530 g) and normal controls (3160±503 g). In women with PCOS, birth weight was negatively correlated with DHEAS levels (P=0.04, r=−0.137) and positively correlated with the waist circumference (P<0.001, r=0.312) and BMI (P=0.04, r=0.136). In controls, birth weight was only negatively correlated with SHBG levels (P=0.026, r=−0.263). Then, we divided women from both groups in six categories according to birth weight (A. <2500 g, B. 2501–3000 g, C. 3001–3500 g, D. 3501–4000 g, E. 4001–4500 g, F. >4.500 g). We observed no statistically significant differences in the distribution percentages among those with PCOS and normal controls (A. 8 vs 12%, B. 26.8 vs 22.7%, C. 38.4 vs 40%, D. 21.4 vs 25.3%, E. 4.5 vs 0%, F. 0.9 vs 0%) (for all P>0.05). We found a trend for difference regarding category E (P=0.059).

Conclusions: Women with PCOS do not differ in birth weight from women with normal cycles. However, birth weight is associated with important clinical and biochemical parameters of the syndrome including obesity and hyperandrogenism.