OVERWEIGHT, OBESITY AND IMPAIRED GLUCOSE-TOLERANCE IN CHILDREN OF MOTHERS WITH DIABETES DURING PREGNANCY

Development of body weight and glucose tolerance were studied in 198 c hildren of mothers with diabetes during pregnancy. Weight, length, sym metry index (SI) and plasma insulin mere determined in newborns, Durin g childhood (1-9 years of age) SI was calculated and oral glucose tole rance tests were performed, Newborns of diabetic mothers displayed hyp erinsulinaemia, 14.1% were obese (SI > 1.2), SI at birth was positivel y correlated to insulin (p<0.005), During childhood, frequency of over weight (SI > 1.1) displayed an increase from 25.6% at 1-4 years of age to 31.6% at 5-9 years, Prevalence of obesity increased significantly from 10.6% to 23.7% (p<0.05), No significant correlations mere found b etween parental body mass index and child's body weight, Impaired gluc ose tolerance appeared in 10.0% of 1-4-year old children increasing up to 18.4% at 5-9 years of age, In conclusion, offspring of diabetic mo thers are considered a risk population for the development of overweig ht and diabetogenic disturbances already in childhood. (C) 1997, Editr ice Kurtis.