Relationship between serum nesfatin-1 with mother's anthropometric indices at 18-24 months postpartum in terms of mode of delivery: a nested case- control study

According to the protective role of Nesfatin-1’s in obesity, this study was performed with aim to investigate the relationship between serum Nesfatin-1 with mothers' anthropometric indices at 18-24 months postpartum in terms of mode of delivery.

This nested case-control study was performed on 42 pregnant women with gestational age of 28-32 weeks who had referred to the Mahdieh hospital in Tehran for prenatal care in 2014. Serum Nesfatine-1 levels were measured during 28-32 weeks of gestation and 24 hours after delivery using ELISA method. Then, the subjects were divided in two groups of case (natural vaginal delivery) and control (cesarean section). Anthropometric indices were measured two times in the third trimester of pregnancy and then 18-24 months after delivery. Data were analyzed by SPSS software (version 20) and Chi–Square, linear regression, Spearman, Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test, and Mann-Whitney U test. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Serum level of nsafatin-1 after cesarean delivery had negative significant correlations with BMI at third trimester of pregnancy (P = 0.001, r = -0.66), postpartum follow-up BMI (P = 0.004, r = -0.59) and postpartum weight retention (P = 0.05, r = -0.42). Serum nesfatin -1 was a significant independent predictor of postpartum follow-up BMI (P <0.01). Serum nsafatin-1 had no significant relationship with weight gain during pregnancy and anthropometric indices in NVD group (P> 0.05).

It seems that lack of increase of Nesfatin-1 after elective cesarean section will predispose the mother to obesity in the distant future in postpartum period.