title: Glucose intolerance and cardiometabolic risk in children exposed to maternal gestational diabetes mellitus in utero.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The goal was to examine the carbohydrate tolerance and cardiometabolic risk among children exposed to maternal gestational diabetes mellitus in utero.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, 164 Chinese children whose mothers had participated in a previous study on the screening and diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus (63 had gestational diabetes mellitus and 101 had normal glucose tolerance during the index pregnancies) underwent follow-up evaluations at a median age of 8 years (range: 7-10 years). Children's weight, height, hip and waist circumferences, and blood pressure were measured, and weight-adjusted oral glucose tolerance tests were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Six children (3.7%) demonstrated impaired glucose regulation or diabetes mellitus at the follow-up evaluation. Children exposed to maternal gestational diabetes mellitus had significantly higher systolic (94+/-1.2 vs 88+/-0.9 mmHg) and diastolic (62+/-0.8 vs 57+/-0.6 mmHg) blood pressure values and lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (1.58+/-0.04 vs 1.71+/-0.03 mmol/L) levels, after adjustment for age and gender. A high (>or=90th percentile) umbilical cord insulin level at birth was associated with abnormal glucose tolerance in the offspring.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Maternal gestational diabetes mellitus increases the offspring's cardiometabolic risk, and in utero hyperinsulinemia is an independent predictor of abnormal glucose tolerance in childhood.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Chinese University of Hong Kong, First Floor, E Block, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR. tamwh@cuhk.edu.hk
authors.forename: Wing Hung
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Tam
authors.forename: Ronald Ching Wan
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Xilin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Gary Tin Choi
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: Peter Chun Yip
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.forename: Clive Stewart
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Cockram
authors.forename: Daljit Singh
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Sahota
authors.forename: Michael Scott
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Rogers
authors.forename: Juliana Chung Ngor
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Chan
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D018149:Glucose Intolerance / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006723:Hong Kong / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D015995:Prevalence; D011336:Probability; D018570:Risk Assessment; D017678:Sex Distribution
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose