Serum Ferritin Combined with Glycated Hemoglobin for Early Prediction of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the value of serum ferritin (SF) in conjunction with glycated hemoglobin (HbA_1c) for the early prediction of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and to provide insights that could enhance health care standards for women and newborns.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted involving 650 pregnant women who received regular prenatal check-ups at our institution from January 2019 to April 2024. Participants were categorized into four groups based on their SF concentration quartiles during the 11th to 13th weeks of gestation. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess the predictive value of early GDM risk factors, with the lowest quartile group serving as a reference.

Results: The incidence rate of GDM rose progressively with increasing SF concentrations at 11-13 weeks of gestation, with rates of 18.79%, 21.25%, 24.38%, and 25.45% respectively. Notably, the incidence rate in the highest quartile group (quartile 4) was significantly higher compared to the lowest (quartile 1), with an odds ratio of 1.48 and a 95% confidence interval of 1.12 to 1.93. Additionally, the predictive model incorporating both SF concentration and HbA_1c (Model 2) outperformed the model with SF alone (Model 1), indicating a heightened predictive accuracy for GDM when these two biomarkers are used in combination.

Conclusion: The findings of this study highlight the potential utility of SF and HbA_1c as early predictors of GDM risk, especially when employed in combination.