Reducing the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus in chronic hepatitis B virus carriers via more strict control of gestational weight gain

To explore the association between gestational weight gain (GWG) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) -positive women using a retrospective cohort study to provide advice on the management of GWG.Our study included 39 539 pregnant women who gave birth at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China. Patients were divided into two groups: the HBsAg-negative and HBsAg-positive groups, comprising 36 500 and 3039 participants, respectively. We used univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses to explore the association between GWG and GDM in maternal hepatitis B virus (HBV) carrier women.Being HBsAg positive and excessive GWG were independent risk factors for GDM. Excessive GWG was associated with a higher risk of GDM in HBsAg-positive women. Among pre-pregnancy women of normal weight, HBsAg-positive women with adequate GWG had a higher risk of GDM than HBsAg-negative women, whereas HBsAg-positive women with inadequate GWG had a lower risk of GDM.The optimal GWG ranges for pre-pregnancy normal-weight HBsAg-positive pregnancies might be lower than the US Institute of Medicine recommendations. HBsAg-positive women should strictly control GWG to reduce the risk of GDM.