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Developmental aspects of the offspring of diabetic mothers
Insights
Maternal diabetes during pregnancy impacts infant growth. Poor metabolic control leads to abnormal prenatal growth and higher infant weight, especially in female infants of diabetic mothers (IDMs).
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Endocrinology
- Maternal-Fetal Medicine
Background:
- Infants of diabetic mothers (IDMs) are at risk for altered growth and development.
- Maternal metabolic control during pregnancy is a critical factor influencing fetal development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of maternal diabetes and metabolic control on the prenatal and postnatal growth of infants.
- To identify specific maternal factors associated with growth abnormalities in infants of diabetic mothers.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal anthropometric measurements (weight, length, head circumference) of IDMs from birth to 48 months.
- Categorization of IDMs based on maternal White class and pregnancy complications.
- Assessment of maternal metabolic control during pregnancy.
Main Results:
- Poor maternal metabolic control during pregnancy resulted in excessive prenatal growth, particularly increased fetal weight in late gestation.
- IDMs born to mothers with poor metabolic control exhibited higher infant weight and weight-to-height ratios.
- Female offspring showed a more significant contribution to the observed growth differences.
Conclusions:
- Maternal glycemic control is a key determinant of fetal growth in diabetic pregnancies.
- Suboptimal metabolic management can lead to long-term growth disparities in infants of diabetic mothers.
- Targeted interventions for maternal metabolic control are crucial for optimizing infant development.
Abstract:
This study examined the effect of some maternal factors on the pre- and postnatal development of a group of infants of diabetic mothers (IDMs). Body weight, length and head circumference were measured at birth and at 3, 6, 12, 24, 36, and 48 months of age. No differences were observed in pre- and postterm growth when IDMs were subdivided according to the maternal White class or pregnancy complications. Poor metabolic control during pregnancy resulted in excessive and abnormal prenatal growth; the fetal weight increased progressively during the last 3 weeks of gestation, while little or no increase was observed in fetal length or the head circumference which at 37 weeks both were already higher than (length) or similar to (head circumference) those of normal babies at term. Children of mothers with poor metabolic control during pregnancy showed significantly higher values for weight and weight/height ratio in infancy than children of well controlled mothers. Female offspring contributed most to the differences.