What condition can be associated with increased cord insulin levels?

Increased cord insulin levels are typically associated with macrosomia. This condition results from excessive fetal growth, which can often be secondary to maternal hyperglycemia. When a mother has elevated blood glucose levels—common in conditions such as gestational diabetes—the fetus responds by producing more insulin. This fetal hyperinsulinemia contributes to increased adiposity and larger body size, hence the occurrence of macrosomia.

Macrosomia is defined as a birth weight greater than 4,000 grams (or 8 lb 13 oz), and it is important to monitor in pregnancies complicated by diabetes because it can lead to delivery complications and increased risk of injury during childbirth. In these situations, the increased levels of insulin are a direct physiological response to elevated glucose levels, facilitating growth and fat deposition in the fetus, resulting in macrosomia.

Other conditions, such as intrauterine growth restriction, preeclampsia, and gestational diabetes, may impact fetal health in different ways, but they do not specifically correlate with increased cord insulin levels in the same manner as macrosomia does.