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The diabetic pregnancy and offspring BMI in childhood: a systematic review and meta-analysis

L H Philipps1, S Santhakumaran, C Gale

  • 1Section of Neonatal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, Chelsea and Westminster Campus, 369 Fulham Road, London, SW10 9NH, UK.

Diabetologia
|June 1, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Maternal diabetes is linked to higher offspring BMI z scores in childhood. However, this association disappears when accounting for the mother's pre-pregnancy BMI, suggesting other factors mediate the risk.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Endocrinology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Offspring born to mothers with diabetes face elevated risks of developing metabolic disorders later in life.
  • Increased Body Mass Index (BMI) in offspring is a potential mediating factor for these long-term health risks.
  • Understanding the relationship between maternal diabetes and offspring BMI is crucial for early intervention and prevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the association between maternal diabetes and offspring BMI z-score in childhood.
  • To determine if maternal pre-pregnancy BMI influences the observed relationship between maternal diabetes and offspring BMI.
  • To explore potential differences in offspring BMI based on the type of maternal diabetes (e.g., gestational, type 1).

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review and meta-analysis of published studies.
  • Inclusion criteria: studies reporting offspring BMI z-scores for children of diabetic and non-diabetic mothers.
  • Data synthesis using fixed-effect or random-effects meta-analysis, with and without adjustment for maternal pre-pregnancy BMI.

Main Results:

  • Nine studies were included in the meta-analysis.
  • Unadjusted analysis showed a higher offspring BMI z-score (0.28) in the diabetic group compared to controls.
  • After adjusting for maternal pre-pregnancy BMI, the difference in offspring BMI z-score was no longer statistically significant (0.07).
  • No significant difference in offspring BMI z-score was observed based on the type of maternal diabetes.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal diabetes is associated with increased offspring BMI z-scores in childhood.
  • This association is attenuated and becomes non-significant when maternal pre-pregnancy BMI is taken into account.
  • Further research is needed to identify the causal mediators linking maternal diabetes to offspring metabolic health, emphasizing the importance of adjusting for maternal pre-pregnancy BMI in future studies.
Abstract

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