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Maternal diabetes predicts future cardiometabolic markers in offspring

Children of mothers with gestational diabetes had cardiometabolic markers 20 years later that their peers did not, according to a study presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies meeting.

“Consequences of maternal [gestational diabetes] and prepregnancy overweight on offspring’s cardiometabolic health in adulthood are not well known,” Nina Kaseva, MD, PhD, of the National Institute for Health and Welfare in Finland and colleagues wrote.

Researchers analyzed BP, heart rate and blood tests for 906 men and women (mean age, 24.1 years) whose mothers were either normoglycemic and overweight prior to pregnancy or had gestational diabetes regardless of their BMI before pregnancy. Women who were normoglycemic and had a prepregnancy BMI of less than 25 served as a control group.

Kaseva and colleagues observed higher fasting glucose (2.3%; 95% CI, 0.5-4.3) and higher insulin levels (8.7%; 95% CI, 0.2-17.8) among offspring of mothers who were normoglycemic and overweight prior to pregnancy, compared with controls.

Also, offspring of mothers with gestational diabetes regardless of their BMI before pregnancy also had higher fasting glucose (1.6%, 95% CI, 0.1-3.1) and higher insulin levels (12.7%; 95% CI, 4.4-21.9).

In addition, children of mothers with gestational diabetes regardless of prepregnancy BMI showed lower sex hormone binding globulin (–22.8%; 95% CI, –31.4 to –13.2), HDL (–6.6%; 95% CI, –10.9 to –2.2), apolipoprotein A1 (–4.4%; 95% CI, –7.5 to –1.4) and total cholesterol (–2.9%; 95% CI, –6.5 to 0.9). BP was also lower in both groups vs. controls. - by Janel Miller

Reference: Kaseva N, et al. Neonatal outcomes of very preterm and VLBW neonates born to mothers with diabetes: an international cohort study. Presented at: Pediatric Academic Societies meeting; May 5-8, 2018; Toronto.

Disclosure: Healio Family Medicine was unable to determine the authors’ relevant financial disclosures prior to publication.