Low birth weight may not predict diabetes in pregnancy.

T he Barker hypothesis (1) relates small size at birth to adult health outcomes, including coronary artery disease, hypertension, and diabetes, although the distinction has not always been made between prematurity and intrauterine growth restriction as causes of low birth weight. Previous work (2–4) has shown a correlation between a mother’s own growth restriction (weighing less than the 10th percentile for gestational age at her own birth) and the probability of being diagnosed with diabetes during her pregnancy. This study was designed to further evaluate that hypothesis.