Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 8, 2026
06:21
Osmotic Minipump Implantation for Increasing Glucose Concentration in Mouse Cerebrospinal Fluid
Published on: April 7, 2023
Prediabetes and the big baby
1The Sir George E Clark Metabolic Unit, Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, UK. david.hadden@royalhospitals.n-i.nhs.uk
Diabetic Medicine : a Journal of the British Diabetic Association
|January 18, 2008
Summary
Prediabetes and large babies are persistent challenges linked to maternal hyperglycemia. Early life nutritional stresses, like kwashiorkor, may also induce insulin resistance, impacting long-term health.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Maternal-Fetal Medicine
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- The global rise of Type 2 diabetes highlights the significance of prediabetes.
- Historical research by Jackson et al. on maternal hyperglycemia and fetal outcomes remains relevant.
- Understanding the pathophysiology of fetal macrosomia and stillbirth in diabetic pregnancies is crucial.
Observation:
- Maternal hyperglycemia alone does not fully explain fetal macrosomia.
- Freinkel's concepts of 'facilitated anabolism' and 'accelerated starvation' describe fetal protective mechanisms during pregnancy.
- Kwashiorkor, a form of childhood malnutrition, shares similarities with pregnancy-related nutritional stresses, including insulin resistance.
Findings:
- Evidence suggests insulin resistance in both macrosomic fetuses of hyperglycemic mothers and children with kwashiorkor.
- Adaptive physiological changes during early development may have pathological consequences.
- Worldwide efforts are standardizing criteria for hyperglycemia in pregnancy, screening, and treatment.
Implications:
- The persistent challenge of prediabetes and large babies necessitates continued research.
- Understanding early life nutritional influences on insulin resistance is key to preventing future diabetes.
- Further investigation into the complex interplay between maternal health, fetal development, and long-term metabolic outcomes is warranted.
Related Concept Videos
01:22Diabetes Mellitus: Type 2 and Gestational
Type 2 diabetes, characterized by insulin resistance, arises when the insulin receptors on cells lose responsiveness to insulin, diminishing the cell's capacity to take up glucose, resulting in elevated blood glucose levels. To receive a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes, a series of blood glucose tests are necessary to assess whether the blood glucose falls within normal parameters. If the result is out of the normal range, a patient may be diagnosed as prediabetic or diabetic, depending on the...
01:15Diabetes: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Complications
For most patients, experiencing several weeks of polyuria, polydipsia, fatigue, and significant weight loss may indicate the presence of diabetes. Furthermore, adults displaying the phenotypic appearance of type 2 diabetes (particularly those who are obese and not initially insulin-requiring), may have islet cell autoantibodies, suggesting autoimmune-mediated β cell destruction and a diagnosis of latent autoimmune diabetes of adults (LADA). The categorization of glucose homeostasis is based on...
01:20Pathophysiology of Diabetes
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia. The four categories of diabetes are type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, other specific types of diabetes, and gestational diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes is characterized by autoimmune-mediated destruction of pancreatic β cells, with environmental factors potentially triggering this process in genetically susceptible individuals. Despite many not having a family history, certain genes increase susceptibility, suggesting a...
Type 1 diabetes is characterized by autoimmune-mediated destruction of pancreatic β cells, with environmental factors potentially triggering this process in genetically susceptible individuals. Despite many not having a family history, certain genes increase susceptibility, suggesting a...
01:25Type II Diabetes Mellitus III: Clinical Manifestations and Diagnosis
Type 2 diabetes mellitus develops gradually and is often asymptomatic in early stages.Clinical ManifestationsWhen symptoms appear, they include fatigue, blurred vision, pruritus, delayed wound healing, and recurrent infections, particularly candidal infections. Peripheral neuropathy may present as numbness or tingling in the extremities. Classic hyperglycemia symptoms—polyuria, polydipsia, and polyphagia—are less common. Most patients are overweight and frequently have associated hypertension...
01:26Diabetes Mellitus: Introduction
Diabetes mellitus consists of chronic metabolic disorders characterized by persistent hyperglycemia. This elevated blood glucose results from defects in insulin secretion, impaired insulin action, or both. Insulin, produced by pancreatic β-cells, is essential for maintaining glucose homeostasis by facilitating cellular glucose uptake for energy or storage. Disruptions in insulin production or function lead to glucose accumulation in the bloodstream, causing the clinical features and long-term...
01:22Diabetes Mellitus: Overview and Type I Subtype
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by high blood glucose levels due to inadequate insulin production, insulin resistance, or both. The condition affects millions worldwide and can significantly impact their health and quality of life.
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. As a result, the body is unable to produce sufficient insulin, and individuals with...
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. As a result, the body is unable to produce sufficient insulin, and individuals with...