ArticleBMC pregnancy and childbirth2025
Gestational diabetes and its effect on fetal thymus size: a case-control study.
Article in BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Gestational Age-Specific Reference Ranges and Internally Validated Z-Score Equations for Fetal Thymus Transverse Diameter at 18 + 0-25 + 6 Weeks of Gestation.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Evaluation of the Relationship Between the Thymic-Thoracic Ratio and Perinatal Adverse Outcomes in Fetuses With Congenital Heart Defects: An Observational Study at a Tertiary Care Center.Journal of ultrasound in medicine : official journal of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine · 2026Observational
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5 authors.
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Abstract
introductionFetal thymus size has recently been recognized as a sensitive parameter linked to pregnancy complications. This study investigates whether maternal diabetes affects fetal thymus size, potentially offering a means to identify at-risk fetuses before birth.
methodsThis study was designed as a case-control study conducted from September 2023 to November 2024 in Iran. The study samples included 112 diabetic women (gestational diabetes or pre-pregnancy diabetes) as the case group and 112 healthy pregnant women attending the same hospital as the control group. Data were collected using a researcher-designed demographic questionnaire, and fetal thymus size was measured via abdominal ultrasound. Fetal thymus size is calculated using the thymic-thoracic ratio (TTR) and the thymus circumference.
resultsA statistically significant difference was observed between the two groups regarding body mass index (BMI), an obstetric and demographic variable. The thymic-thoracic ratio (TTR) and the thymus circumference in diabetic pregnancies were statistically significantly lower than in the control group (p = 0.000). Odds ratios (95% CI) for the TTR index were 0.61 (CI 95%: 0.48 to 0.78), and thymus circumference was 0.95 (CI 95%: 0.93 to 0.97).
conclusionThe present study indicated that a reduction in fetal thymus size may be associated with diabetes in pregnant women. However, it remains to be determined whether ultrasound evaluation of fetal thymus size can help predict perinatal outcomes in diabetic women.
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