Metabolic Problems in the Offspring of Women with Gestational Diabetes and Obesity: An Opportunity for Prevention

Abstract

Puberty is a critical period of life when body composition is defined and abnormalities associated with insulin resistance may become clinically apparent ( 1). Weight problems and increased adiposity during puberty are associated with obesity and metabolic problems later in life ( 2, 3). In recent decades, increasing incidence rates of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and youth-onset type 2 diabetes (Y2DM) have been observed. Whether GDM and concurrent obesity in the pregnant mother indicate a worse metabolic prognosis in peripubertal children than when either is observed alone is unknown.