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Ultrasound/Imaging

Poster Session 2

(613) Association of maternal serum leptin levels in mid gestation with fetal adiposity

Tuesday, February 13, 2024
3:30 PM – 5:00 PM  
Location: Prince George's Exhibit Hall CDE, Lower Atrium Level
Objective: Leptin is one of the adipokines that has been associated with birth weight and infant adiposity. Recent improvements in ultrasound imaging have enabled better tissue characterization and more reliable quantification of fetal fat deposition at specific anatomical sites (arm, thigh and abdomen). However, the association between maternal serum leptin levels and change in fetal fat deposition remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association of maternal serum leptin in mid gestation with longitudinal change of fetal fat deposition in the arm, thigh and abdomen.

Study Design: A prospective study was conducted in a cohort of 24 singleton pregnancies. Maternal blood sample was obtained at 24 weeks’ gestation, and fetal ultrasonography was performed at 24, 30, and 36 weeks’ gestation. 3D ultrasonography was used to acquire total contours of arm and thigh, then analyzed offline using appropriate software to determine subcutaneous fat area with standardized cross-sectional images. The fat area was calculated as difference between the total cross-sectional area and the lean mass area. Subcutaneous fat thickness in the abdomen was measured as the high-echoic region anterior to the margins of the ribs, proximal to the cord insertion. The association between maternal serum leptin level and fetal fat deposition was examined using Pearson product moment correlations.

Results: Maternal serum leptin at 24 weeks was 23.6±3.1 ng/ml (mean±S.E.). Maternal leptin level was not associated with fetal fat deposition at 24 weeks and 30 weeks. Maternal leptin level significantly correlated with fetal arm fat area (r = 0.407, p < 0.05), and not with thigh fat area (r = 0.245, p = 0.249) or subcutaneous fat thickness in the abdomen (r = 0.361, p = 0.084) at 36 weeks.

Conclusion: Maternal serum leptin level at 24 weeks significantly correlated with fetal arm fat mass in late gestation. Maternal serum leptin level in mid-gestation could be a marker for identifying increased fetal adiposity in late gestation.