A RECENT study presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) Annual Meeting in Madrid, Spain reveals that rapidly controlling blood sugar levels in pregnant women with gestational diabetes (GDM) can significantly lower their children’s risk of developing obesity.
GDM, which affects around 14% of pregnancies worldwide, poses risks not only to mothers but also to their children, including a higher likelihood of premature birth and obesity later in life.
The study, led by Assiamira Ferrara from Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, USA, analysed data from over 258,000 females who gave birth in the USA between 2011–2023. A total of 17,316 females with GDM were grouped based on how quickly they managed to control their blood sugar after diagnosis: stably optimal (39.2%), rapidly improving to optimal (32.3%), slowly improving to near-optimal (16.7%), and slowly improving to suboptimal (11.8%).
At 2–4 years of age, obesity prevalence was 15.1% in children of individuals without GDM, and 15.9%, 18.7%, 20.9%, and 24.6% in children of individuals with GDM in stably optimal, rapidly improving, slowly improving to near-optimal, and slowly improving to suboptimal glycaemic control trajectories, respectively.
Importantly, children of individuals with the best blood sugar control (stably optimal or rapidly improving) had a similar risk of obesity to those whose mothers did not have GDM. In contrast, children of individuals with slower or suboptimal glycaemic control faced a significantly higher risk of obesity. By age 5–7 years, only children in the stably optimal group maintained a comparable obesity risk to that observed in children of individuals without GDM.
Ferrara emphasised the importance of early and effective management of GDM, stating that it not only reduces pregnancy complications but also lowers the long-term health risks for children. She urged mothers diagnosed with GDM to follow treatment plans promptly, including dietary changes, exercise, and medications if necessary, to safeguard their children’s health.
“Obesity is hard to reverse and increases the risk of diabetes and heart disease,” Ferrara added, “so reducing this risk is critical for the long-term health of both mother and child.”
Ada Enesco, EMJ
Reference
Ferrara A et al. Achievement of glycaemic control after gestational diabetes diagnosis is associated with a risk of obesity in the offspring similar to that in children of individuals without gestational diabetes. Abstract 177. EASD Annual Meeting, 9–13 September, 2024.
