Maternal Gestational Diabetes and Early Childhood Obesity: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Abstract

Background: Recently, childhood obesity has become one of the most serious public health problems in the world. Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is considered a risk factor for childhood overweight and obesity. The study aimed at investigating the relationship between maternal GDM and childhood obesity in children aged from 1 to 3 years. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, 237 GDM and 296 non-GDM mothers and their offspring who were followed up by Family Medicine Clinics in Rize province of Turkey were assessed. World Health Organization (WHO) criteria were used for the diagnosis of maternal GDM. Crude and adjusted logistic regression models were calculated for the association of gestational diabetes and childhood overweight/obesity. Gender and age-specific percentile tables were used for the categorization of BMI. Results: Statistical analysis carried out with adjustment for potential confounders (mother's age, educational status, smoking status, BMI, gestational weight gain, children's gender, and gestational birth weight) provided results with an odds ratio of 2.99; 95% CI 1.14-7.94 and 7.77; 95% CI 1.92-31.37 for the impact of gestational diabetes on childhood overweight and obesity at 2 and 3 years of age, respectively. Conclusions: This study found evidence for maternal GDM to cause the risk of early childhood obesity. Therefore, proper intervention strategies are required for this high-risk population.

Maternal Gestational Diabetes Is Associated with High Risk of Childhood Overweight and Obesity: A Cross-Sectional Study in Pre-School Children Aged 2–5 Years

“…Furthermore, a novel survey by Choi et al [ 40 ] is in line with our findings, as the authors observed that maternal obesity before gestation and GDM further raise the probability of childhood obesity at 5 years [ 40 ]. Another recent retrospective study by Ardic et al [ 41 ] also found that GDM increases the probability for childhood obesity at the ages of 2 and 3 years old.…”

Assessing Moroccan physician knowledge and practices regarding maternal obesity's impact on childhood obesity: Implications for prevention and intervention

“…These findings align with doctors' observations, which are in complete accordance with the extensive scientific research in this field. Various studies have conclusively established that gestational diabetes is a significant risk factor for the subsequent development of obesity in young children[ 20 , 21 ]. In addition, a review by Adriana Mannino and colleagues concluded that the impact of maternal overweight on childhood obesity is no longer open to dispute, underlining the need for targeted interventions to prevent this growing scourge[ 22 ].…”

An unwelcome inheritance: childhood obesity after diabetes in pregnancy

“…Despite these limitations, there is consistent evidence of an association between maternal diabetes and child obesity, described in diverse populations including from China [ 13 ], Denmark [ 14 ], Sweden [ 15 ], Turkey [ 16 ], South Korea [ 17 ] and in the multi-ethnic Hyperglycemia and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes (HAPO) cohort [ 10 ]. There is also emerging evidence of a dose-dependent effect of maternal hyperglycaemia upon offspring obesity, with risk increasing proportionately with maternal glucose concentrations in pre-gestational and gestational diabetes [ 11 , 14 ].…”