Early growth in offspring of diabetic mothers

Abstract

Objective: By age 5 years, offspring of diabetic mothers (ODMs) are heavier and have altered glucose metabolism compared with offspring of mothers without diabetes (non-DMs). This study evaluates the growth pattern of ODMs before the age of 5 years.

Research design and methods: Anthropometric measures (z scores) from birth, 1.5 years, and 7.7 years in Pima Indian children were compared by maternal diabetes status.

Results: After adjustment for earlier gestational age at delivery (37.8 vs. 39.3 weeks, P < 0.01), ODMs were heavier at birth (z score birth weight 0.49 vs. -0.04, P < 0.01) than non-DMs. At age 1.5 years, ODMs were shorter than the non-DMs (z score = -0.24 vs. 0.12, P < 0.01) but their weight and relative weight (RW; weight adjusted for age, sex, and length or height) were similar. From birth to 1.5 years, ODMs showed significant "catch down" of weight compared with non-DMs (change in weight z score from birth to 1.5 years of ODMs and non-DMs was -0.56 and 0.12, respectively, P < 0.01). By age 7.7 years, ODMs were heavier (weight z score 0.89 vs. -0.07, P < 0.01) but had similar height as non-DMs. Differences in glucose and insulin concentrations at age 7.7 years were dependent on RW.

Conclusions: ODMs had a dramatically different growth pattern from that of non-DMs. Gestational age-adjusted birth weight was higher. During the first 1.5 postnatal years, the change in weight z score and attained height were reduced. Subsequently, height caught up to that of non-DMs, while weight gain greatly exceeded that of non-DMs.