Hyperglycemia During Pregnancy and Long-Term Offspring Outcomes

Monica E. Bianco, Jami L. Josefson*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

144 Scopus citations

Abstract

Purpose of Review: This review will focus on the long-term outcomes in offspring exposed to in utero hyperglycemia and gestational diabetes (GDM), including obesity, adiposity, glucose metabolism, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and puberty. Recent Findings: There is evidence, mostly from observational studies, that offspring of GDM mothers have increased risk of obesity, increased adiposity, disorders of glucose metabolism (insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes), and hypertension. In contrast, evidence from the two intervention studies of treatment of mild GDM and childhood measures of BMI, adiposity, and glucose tolerance do not demonstrate that GDM treatment significantly reduces adverse childhood metabolic outcomes. Thus, more evidence is needed to understand the impact of maternal GDM on offspring’s adiposity, glucose metabolism, lipid metabolism, risk of fatty liver disease, and pubertal onset. Summary: Offspring of GDM mothers may have increased risk for metabolic and cardiovascular complications. Targeting this group for intervention studies to prevent obesity and disorders of glucose metabolism is one potential strategy to prevent adverse metabolic health outcomes.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number143
JournalCurrent diabetes reports
Volume19
Issue number12
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 1 2019

Keywords

  • Childhood metabolic disease
  • Developmental programming of diabetes
  • Exposure to gestational diabetes mellitus
  • Gestational diabetes treatment effect on offspring
  • Long-term offspring outcomes
  • Pregnancy

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Internal Medicine
  • Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism

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