Association between maternal pre-existing or gestational diabetes and health problems in children

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Pediatrics
• Public Health

Background:

• Maternal diabetes mellitus, both pre-existing (PDM) and gestational (GDM), is a known risk factor for adverse child outcomes.
• The extent of increased childhood morbidity in offspring of GDM pregnancies compared to PDM pregnancies requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess and compare the inpatient hospital care utilization up to 10 years of age for children born to mothers with GDM and PDM.
• To estimate childhood morbidity associated with maternal diabetes during pregnancy.

Main Methods:

• A large-scale retrospective cohort study using linked Swedish national registries (Medical Birth Registry and Hospital Discharge Registry).
• Inclusion of data from 82,684 children of GDM mothers, 3,874 children of PDM mothers, and 1,213,957 controls.
• A smaller, local cohort of 326 children born to GDM mothers in the Lund area was also analyzed for comparison.

Main Results:

• Children of both PDM and GDM mothers exhibited significantly increased rates of hospitalization up to age 10 compared to controls.
• Specific increased risks for PDM and GDM offspring included neurological/developmental disorders (OR 2.30, 1.36), malformations (OR 2.05, 1.23), infections (OR 1.56, 1.20), and accidents (OR 1.32, 1.14).

Conclusions:

• Offspring of mothers with PDM and GDM experience elevated morbidity, reflected in higher hospitalization rates.
• These findings highlight the long-term health implications for children exposed to maternal diabetes during pregnancy, particularly concerning neurodevelopmental disorders.