Strengths and limitations
One of the strengths of this study was its relatively large sample size
which made the results more reliable. In addition, compare to other
lipid parameters used in former studies such as HDL and LDL,
ApoB/ApoA-1
is thought to be a more reliable and comprehensive parameter to reflect
lipid disturbance28. However, several limitations
should also be pointed out. First, pre-pregnancy weight was
self-reported which may cause recall bias, although the discrepancy
between self-reported weight and measured weight was relatively
small29. Second, although we adjusted for several
potential confounders, we cannot rule out the possibility of residual
confounding by unmeasured factors, such as gestational dietary
nutrition, gestational weight gain, maternal life style and
socioeconomic parameters. Third, the participant of our study were all
Chinese pregnant women, which may reduce the generalization of our
results to other ethnic groups.