Girls born to mothers with high insulin resistance in late pregnancy are more likely to have increased abdominal fat by the age of seven, according to research presented at the 28th European Endocrinology Congress in Prague. Maternal insulin resistance was not associated with body fat in boys, suggesting that girls may be more susceptible to maternal insulin resistance later in pregnancy. This finding highlights the importance of maternal metabolic health for the child’s future well-being and health.
During pregnancy, your body requires more insulin after the first trimester due to hormonal changes in the placenta. Insulin resistance peaks during the third trimester of pregnancy, usually around 32 to 36 weeks. Exposure to a variety of hormones during early childhood can shape a child’s long-term health.
In this study, researchers at Odense University Hospital in Denmark analyzed data on insulin resistance, fasting blood sugar, and insulin levels in 903 women in their third trimester of pregnancy from the Odense Pediatric Cohort. They also measured the body composition of 903 7-year-olds and found that girls who were exposed to higher insulin resistance in utero had more fat around the midsection and upper body, more fat around the lower body, and more total body fat. Furthermore, for every 1 mmol/L increase in maternal fasting blood glucose, girls’ body fat percentage increased by approximately 6%. These findings held true regardless of the mother’s pre-pregnancy weight.
Previous studies have shown a link between mothers’ blood sugar levels and their children’s body fat mass, but results have been inconsistent regarding differences between boys and girls. “Our findings indicate that girls may be more susceptible to the effects of maternal insulin resistance during pregnancy than boys. Whereas increased body fat in boys is primarily explained by maternal BMI, in girls the specific metabolic environment in the womb appears to play a larger role, independent of maternal weight,” said study author Camila Viola-Palm, Ph.D.
Our study contributes new insights by assessing fat distribution in 7-year-old children using insulin resistance measurements and DXA scans during late pregnancy. Additionally, participating mothers and health care professionals were blinded to glucose and insulin assessment, ensuring that results were not influenced by dietary or treatment changes. ”
Dr. Camila Viola Palm
“The pregnant women in our study were relatively lean and healthy, suggesting that increased insulin resistance during pregnancy may program future abdominal fat accumulation in girls, even in mothers without metabolic risk,” Dr. Palm said. “Excess abdominal fat can increase a girl’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease later in life, so maternal insulin resistance should ideally be addressed early in pregnancy, or ideally before pregnancy.”
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European Endocrine Society
