Home Diabetes and Endocrinology Gestational DM Tied to Greater Total Adipose Tissue in Infants

Gestational DM Tied to Greater Total Adipose Tissue in Infants

Finding held even with good maternal glycemic control

FRIDAY, May 13, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Infants born to mothers who had gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) may be more likely to carry excess fat in early life, according to research published online May 12 in Diabetes Care.

Most of the 86 babies in the study — 42 born to mothers with GDM — were breast-fed. The researchers measured their adipose tissue levels via magnetic resonance imaging shortly after birth and again when they were 8 to 12 weeks old.

The researchers found that at 2 months of age, the babies of mothers with GDM had 16 percent more adipose tissue than babies of mothers without GDM. This finding is in contrast to their body fat at birth, when fat levels in both groups were about the same overall.

“All of the women in the study had their condition well controlled,” lead author Karen Logan, M.B.B.S., of Imperial College London, said in a college news release. “However, this study suggests that even good treatment during pregnancy may not be enough to prevent longer-term problems in the baby.”

Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Copyright © 2016 HealthDay. All rights reserved.