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Aims/hypothesis Offspring of mothers with diabetes are at increased risk of metabolic disorders in later life. Increased offspring BMI is a plausible mediator. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies examining offspring BMI z score in childhood in relation to maternal diabetes. Methods Papers reporting BMI z scores for offspring of diabetic (all types, and pre-and during-pregnancy onset) and non-diabetic mothers were included. Citations were identified in PubMed; bibliographies of relevant articles were hand-searched and authors contacted for additional data where necessary. We compared offspring BMI z score with and without adjustment for maternal pre-pregnancy BMI. We performed fixed effect meta-analysis except where significant heterogeneity called for use of a random effects analysis. Results Data were available from nine studies. In the diabetic group unadjusted mean offspring BMI z score was 0.28 higher (all diabetic mothers vs controls (95% CI 0.09, 0.47; p=0.004; nine studies; offspring of diabetic mothers n=927, controls n=26,384) and with adjustment for maternal prepregnancy BMI, 0.07 higher (95% CI −0.15, 0.28; p=0.54; three studies; offspring of diabetic mothers n=244, controls n=11,206). There was no evidence of a difference in offspring BMI z score in relation to type of diabetes (gestational vs type 1, p=0.95).Conclusions/interpretation Maternal diabetes is associated with increased offspring BMI z score, although this is no longer apparent after adjustment for maternal prepregnancy BMI in the limited number of studies in which this is reported. Causal mediators of the effect of maternal diabetes on offspring outcomes remain to be established; we recommend that future research includes adjustment for maternal pre-pregnancy BMI.

Compared with breastfeeding, formula feeding is associated with altered body composition in infancy.

Aims/hypothesis Offspring of diabetic mothers have increased risk of the metabolic syndrome in adulthood. Studies examining BP in offspring of diabetic mothers have conflicting conclusions. We performed a systematic review and metaanalysis of studies reporting offspring BP in children born to diabetic mothers. Methods Citations were identified in PubMed. Authors were contacted for additional data. Systolic and diastolic BP in offspring of diabetic mothers and controls were compared. Subgroup analysis of type of maternal diabetes and offspring sex were performed. Fixed-effects models were used, and random-effects models where significant heterogeneity was present. Meta-regression was used to test the relationship between offspring systolic BP and prepregnancy BMI. Results Fifteen studies were included in the review and 13 in the meta-analysis. Systolic BP was higher in offspring of diabetic mothers (mean difference 1.88 mmHg [95% CI 0.47, 3.28]; p00.009). Offspring of mothers with gestational diabetes had similar diastolic BP to controls, but higher systolic BP (1.39 mmHg [95% CI 0.00, 2.77]; p00.05); results for type 1 diabetes were inconclusive and there were no separate data available on offspring of type 2 diabetic mothers. Male offspring of diabetic mothers had higher systolic BP (2.01 mmHg [95% CI 0.93, 3.10]; p00.0003) and diastolic BP (1.12 mmHg [95% CI 0.36, 1.88]; p00.004) than controls; in female offspring there was no difference (systolic: 0.54 mmHg [95% CI −1.83, 2.90], p00.66; diastolic: 0.51 mmHg [95% CI −1.07, 2.09], p00.52). The correlation between offspring systolic BP and maternal prepregnancy BMI was not significant (p00.37). Conclusions/interpretation Offspring of diabetic mothers have higher systolic BP than controls. Differences related to sex and type of maternal diabetes require further investigation.

ObjectiveMaternal glycaemia and anthropometry-derived newborn adiposity are strongly correlated. The children of mothers with diabetes are at greater risk of adverse metabolic health, and increased adiposity is a plausible mediator. We undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare adiposity in infants of diabetic mothers (IDM) and infants of mothers without diabetes (NIDM).DesignWe identified observational studies reporting adiposity in IDM and NIDM. We searched references, traced forward citations and contacted authors for additional data. We considered all body composition techniques and compared fat mass, fat-free mass, body fat % and skinfold thickness. We used random effects meta-analyses and performed subgroup analyses by maternal diabetes type (type 1, type 2 and gestational) and infant sex. We examined the influence of pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and conducted sensitivity analyses.ResultsWe included data from 35 papers and over 24 000 infants. IDM have greater fat mass than NIDM (mean difference (95% CI)): 83 g (49 to 117). Fat mass is greater in infants of mothers with gestational diabetes: 62 g (29 to 94) and type 1 diabetes: 268 g (139 to 397). Insufficient studies reported data for type 2 diabetes separately. Compared with NIDM, fat mass was greater in IDM boys: 87 g (30 to 145), but not significantly different in IDM girls: 42 g (−33 to 116). There was no attenuation after adjustment for maternal BMI.ConclusionsIDM have significantly greater adiposity in comparison with NIDM. These findings are justification for studies to determine whether measures to reduce infant adiposity will improve later health.

OBJECTIVEInfants born to mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are at greater risk of later adverse metabolic health. We examined plausible candidate mediators, adipose tissue (AT) quantity and distribution and intrahepatocellular lipid (IHCL) content, comparing infants of mothers with GDM and without GDM (control group) over the first 3 postnatal months. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODSWe conducted a prospective longitudinal study using MRI and spectroscopy to quantify whole-body and regional AT volumes, and IHCL content, within 2 weeks and 8-12 weeks after birth. We adjusted for infant size and sex and maternal prepregnancy BMI. Values are reported as the mean difference (95% CI). RESULTSWe recruited 86 infants (GDM group 42 infants; control group 44 infants). Mothers with GDM had good pregnancy glycemic control. Infants were predominantly breast-fed up to the time of the second assessment (GDM group 71%; control group 74%). Total AT volumes were similar in the GDM group compared with the control group at a median age of 11 days (228 cm 3 [95% CI 2121, 65], P = 0.55), but were greater in the GDM group at a median age of 10 weeks (247 cm 3 [56, 439], P = 0.01). After adjustment for size, the GDM group had significantly greater total AT volume at 10 weeks than control group infants (16.0% [6.0, 27.1], P = 0.002). AT distribution and IHCL content were not significantly different at either time point. CONCLUSIONSAdiposity in GDM infants is amplified in early infancy, despite good maternal glycemic control and predominant breast-feeding, suggesting a potential causal pathway to later adverse metabolic health. Reduction in postnatal adiposity may be a therapeutic target to reduce later health risks.Diabetes in pregnancy is increasing and currently affects up to 5% of women in the U.K.(1) and up to 9.2% in the U.S. (2). Approximately 87.5% of cases are gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), 7.5% are type 1 diabetes, and 5% are type 2 diabetes (1). The offspring of mothers with diabetes have greater risks of adverse metabolic sequelae in childhood and later life that appear to be additional to genetic predisposition (3-5).The underlying mechanisms are unclear, but increased infant adiposity is a plausible mediator because adiposity in childhood and adult life are associated with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (6). The Hyperglycemia and Adverse

Performing magnetic resonance investigations in a paediatric population can be difficult; image acquisition is commonly complicated by movement artefact and non-compliance. Sedation is widely used for clinically indicated investigations, but there is controversy when used for research imaging. Over a 10-year period we have performed whole body MRI on over 450 infants and hepatic magnetic resonance spectroscopy on over 270 infants. These investigations have been accomplished without the use of sedation in infants up to 3 months of age. Our overall success rate in achieving good quality images free of movement artefact is 94%. The prevalence of incidental findings on whole body (excluding brain) MRI in our cohort was 0.8%. We conclude that the use of sedation for research MRI in this group is not necessary. Our approach to MRI in infancy is also described.

Sexual dimorphism in adiposity is well described in adults, but the age at which differences first manifest is uncertain. Using a prospective cohort, we describe longitudinal changes in directly measured adiposity and intrahepatocellular lipid (IHCL) in relation to sex in healthy term infants. At median ages of 13 and 63 days, infants underwent quantification of adipose tissue depots by whole-body magnetic resonance imaging and measurement of IHCL by in vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Longitudinal data were obtained from 70 infants (40 boys and 30 girls). In the neonatal period girls are more adipose in relation to body size than boys. At follow-up (median age 63 days), girls remained significantly more adipose. The greater relative adiposity that characterises girls is explained by more subcutaneous adipose tissue and this becomes increasingly apparent by follow-up. No significant sex differences were seen in IHCL. Sex-specific differences in infant adipose tissue distribution are in keeping with those described in later life, and suggest that sexual dimorphism in adiposity is established in early infancy.