Abstract: Objective To explore the relationship of umbilical cord blood adiponectin with glucose and lipid metabolism, fetal growth and development in infants of mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus(GDM). 
Methods In total, 148 infants of GDM mothers were selected as the research subjects. According to fetal birth weight and gestational age, they were divided into small for gestational age(SGA) group(n=48), appropriate gestational age(AGA) group(n=59), and large than gestational age(LGA) group(n=41). The serum adiponectin, blood glucose and blood lipid index levels in the cord blood were detected, and the relationship between the adiponectin level in the cord blood and the glucose and lipid metabolism, fetal growth and development indicators was analyzed. 
Results There were significant differences in gestational age, birth weight, birth weight index, cord blood adiponectin, cord blood glycated hemoglobin(HbA1c), cord blood insulin, and maternal blood insulin among the three groups(P＜0.05). No significant difference was found in sex, cord blood glucose, cord blood triglyceride, cord blood cholesterol, cord blood low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, cord blood high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and cord blood homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance(HOMA-IR)(P＞0.05). GDM maternal age, pre-pregnancy body weight, body weight at delivery, pre-pregnancy body mass index(BMI), increase in BMI during pregnancy, maternal blood glucose, maternal blood HbA1c, and maternal blood HOMA-IR were not statistically significant(P＞0.05). The results of Pearson correlation analysis showed that adiponectin in fetal cord blood was positively correlated with neonatal gestational age, neonatal birth weight, neonatal birth mass index, cord blood HOMA-IR, but negatively correlated with cord blood HbA1c and cord blood insulin(P＜0.05). The results of multiple linear regression analysis showed that neonatal birth weight index, cord blood adiponectin, cord blood HbA1c, and cord blood insulin were the influencing factors of fetal growth and development(P＜0.05). 
Conclusion Umbilical blood adiponectin has a positive correlation with fetal glucose and lipid metabolism and growth and development, which can reflect fetal glucose and lipid metabolism and growth and development, thereby providing guidance for promoting normal fetal growth and development and reducing fetal insulin resistance.

Key words: diabetes mellitus, pregnancy, adiponectin, fetal development