Latest Research Shows Close Link Between Gestational Diabetes and Development of Maternal Type-2 Diabetes
New research published in July 2018 demonstrates that gestational diabetes is significantly associated with a higher maternal risk of a disorder of glucose metabolism in the years following pregnancy. The study also looked at whether there was a heightened risk of adiposity or obesity in the children of mothers diagnosed with gestational diabetes, and adiposity was certainly higher than anticipated.
The study involved approximately 4,500 pairs of mothers and children, from the US, UK, Canada, Thailand, Israel, Hong Kong and the West Indies. The wide geographical spectrum was chosen to ensure an international, multiethnic cohort.
The primary objectives of the study were to assess whether in utero exposure to untreated gestational diabetes was associated with a long-term risk of a disorder of glucose metabolism among mothers and greater adiposity among their children 10 to 14 years postpartum. The study looked at gestational diabetes status and maternal outcomes, gestational diabetes status and outcomes for children and secondary outcomes for both mothers and children.
At the follow-up visits, mothers with gestational diabetes had higher BMIs and more frequent family histories of diabetes in first-degree relatives. The statistics gathered demonstrated weight gain subsequent to the pregnancy – and that weight gained during pregnancy did not all disappear. The children of mothers with gestational diabetes were heavier than the offspring of mothers without gestational diabetes. A high percentage of offspring of mothers who had gestational diabetes had values for body fat percentage, waist circumference and skinfolds that were in the 85th percentile.
Gestational diabetes is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes. The risk factors for progression to type 2 diabetes include maternal age, prepartum and postpartum BMI, family history of type 2 diabetes and receipt of insulin for gestational diabetes. This new study demonstrates that a larger population of women with lesser degrees of hyperglycemia are at risk for progression to prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.
Association of Gestational Diabetes With Maternal Disorders of Glucose Metabolism and Childhood Adiposity, Lowe WL Jr, Scholtens DM, Lowe LP, Kuang A, Nodzenski M, Talbot O, Catalano PM, Linder B, Brickman WJ, Clayton P, Deerochanawong C, Hamilton J, Josefson JL, Lashley M, Lawrence JM, Lebenthal Y, Ma R, Maresh M, McCance D, Tam WH, Sacks DA, Dyer AR, Metzger BE; HAPO Follow-up Study Cooperative Research Group, JAMA (2018)
