Gestational diabetes: Is it related to type 2 diabetes in the mother and obesity in the children?

This study investigated if gestational diabetes is associated with future diabetes issues in the mother after she gives birth, and if it is associated with obesity in the child she gave birth to. The study found that there was a higher risk in the mothers of future diabetes issues if she suffered from gestational diabetes during the pregnancy. There was no association between gestational diabetes in the mother and obesity in the child.

Gestational diabetes can occur during pregnancy. It occurs when the pregnant woman has high levels of glucose (sugar) in her blood during the pregnancy. Recently the criteria for gestational diabetes have been changed. There have been studies that have suggested that women who qualified as having gestational diabetes under the old criteria may have had a higher risk of their children being obese, or the mothers themselves developing a diabetes problem later in life.

This study consisted of 4834 children and 4747 mothers. 672 of these mothers qualified as having gestational diabetes under the new criteria. The mothers and their children were followed up for 11.4 years on average. Glucose metabolism disorders in the mother included type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes.

In the children whose mother had gestational diabetes, 39.5% were overweight or obese, compared to 28.6% in the children whose mother did not have gestational diabetes.

In the mothers who had gestational diabetes, 52.2% developed a diabetes problem, while 20.1% of the mothers who did not have gestational diabetes developed a diabetes problem later.

The study concluded that gestational diabetes in the mother results in a higher chance of future diabetes issues in the mother, but not obesity in the child.

This study is very large and confirms previously known evidence. This study was done to be correct under the new classification.