Association of exposure to diabetes in utero with adiposity and fat distribution in a multiethnic population of youth: the Exploring Perinatal Outcomes among Children (EPOCH) Study.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate whether exposure to maternal gestational diabetes (GDM) is associated with adiposity and fat distribution in a multiethnic population of children.


METHODS
Retrospective cohort study of 82 children exposed to maternal GDM and 379 unexposed youths 6-13 years of age with measured BMI, waist circumference, skinfold thickness, and visceral and subcutaneous abdominal fat.


RESULTS
Exposure to maternal GDM was associated with higher BMI (p = 0.02), larger waist circumference (p = 0.004), more subcutaneous abdominal fat (p = 0.01) and increased subscapular to triceps skinfold thickness ratio (p = 0.01) in models adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity and Tanner stage. Adjustment for socioeconomic factors, birthweight and gestational age, maternal smoking during pregnancy and current diet and physical activity did not influence associations; however, adjustment for maternal pre-pregnancy BMI attenuated all associations.


CONCLUSIONS
Exposure to maternal GDM is associated with increased overall and abdominal adiposity, and a more central fat distribution pattern in 6- to 13-year-old youths from a multi-ethnic population, providing further support for the fetal overnutrition hypothesis.
Department of Epidemiology, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, 80045, USA.
T L
TL
Crume
L
L
Ogden
N A
NA
West
K S
KS
Vehik
A
A
Scherzinger
S
S
Daniels
R
R
McDuffie
K
K
Bischoff
R F
RF
Hamman
J M
JM
Norris
D
D
Dabelea
D050154:Adiposity / Q000502:physiology*; D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American; D002648:Child; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People