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Body fat greater in infants of mothers with gestational diabetes
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Women with gestational diabetes, regardless of good glycemic control and predominant breast-feeding, often give birth to children with increased adiposity in early infancy, according to study findings published in Diabetes Care.
“Gestational diabetes is becoming more and more common, and babies born to these mothers are at increased risk of developing diabetes when they grow up,” Karen E. Logan, PhD, of the section of neonatal medicine, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital Campus, Imperial College London, said in a press release. “Therefore, we need to understand what effects diabetes has on the baby. This new study suggests diabetes in the mother can trigger changes in the baby at a very early stage.”
In the prospective longitudinal study, Logan and colleagues evaluated 42 infants born to mothers with gestational diabetes (gestational diabetes group) and 44 infants born to mothers without gestational diabetes (control group) to compared adipose tissue quantity and distribution and intrahepatocellular lipid content in the first 3 prenatal months between the two groups.
MRI and spectroscopy were used to quantify whole-body and regional adipose tissue volumes and intrahepatocellular lipid content at two different time points: within 2 weeks of birth and 8 to 12 weeks after birth.
Women with gestational diabetes had good glycemic control and a mean third trimester HbA1c level of 5.3%. Exclusive or predominant breast-feeding rates by the second time point were similar between the two groups.
Unadjusted total adipose tissue volume, adipose tissue distribution, compartmental adipose tissue volumes and intrahepatocellular lipid levels did not significantly differ between the two groups at the first assessment.
Compared with controls, total adipose tissue volume was greater in the gestational diabetes group (P = .01) at the second assessment; however, no differences were found for adipose tissue distribution or intrahepatocellular lipid level. Similarly, the groups with mothers with gestational diabetes had greater compartmental adipose tissue volumes compared with controls, but significance was not reached for abdominal deep subcutaneous or internal abdominal compartments.
After adjustment for infant size, no difference was found between the groups for total adipose tissue volume at the first assessment. At the second assessment, adipose tissue volume remained greater in the gestational diabetes group compared with controls after adjustment for infant size (P = .002). Compared with controls, change in total adipose tissue volume between the assessment was greater in the gestational diabetes group (P = .003).
“Many of the women in our study were not overweight, and there are other possible causes of the condition, such as genetic predisposition,” Logan said in the release. “All of the women in the study had their condition well-controlled; however, this study suggests that even good treatment during pregnancy may not be enough to prevent longer-term problems in the baby.” – by Amber Cox
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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