J Pediatr. 2025 May 12:114639. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2025.114639. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To determine if, after adjusting for potential confounders, child health outcomes differed between children exposed to maternal gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and their unexposed peers.
STUDY DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. Recruitment took place between June 2022 and May 2024. The primary outcome was overweight or obesity. Secondary outcomes were other measures of size, eating behavior, behavioral and emotional problems, neurodevelopmental disorders, atopic disorders, and diabetes. Between-group differences were determined with generalized linear mixed models adjusted for gestational weight gain and socioeconomic status.
RESULTS: Of the 699 children who participated at a mean age of 5.6 years, 295 (42.2%) were exposed to GDM. There was no difference in the risk of being overweight or obese in children exposed to GDM compared with those unexposed (aRR [95% CI]: 0.69 [0.44, 1.08]). Children exposed to GDM had lower BMI z-scores (aRR [95% CI]: -0.30 [-0.53, -0.60]), enjoyment of food scores (aRR [95% CI]: -0.17 [-0.31, -.04]), and risk of abnormal hyperactivity scores (aRR [95% CI]: 0.23 [.06, 0.87])] Other outcomes were similar between exposure groups.
CONCLUSION: After accounting for confounders, children exposed to treated GDM had comparable risk of being overweight or obese with their unexposed peers. Our findings are reassuring for parents and health practitioners caring for women who experience GDM and their children.
PMID:40368241 | DOI:10.1016/j.jpeds.2025.114639