Maternal Glucose Concentrations in Early Pregnancy and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Childhood

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to examine the associations of maternal early-pregnancy glucose and insulin concentrations with offspring cardiometabolic risk factors and fat distribution. Methods: In a population-based prospective cohort study among 3,737 mothers and their children, random maternal glucose and insulin concentrations were measured at a median gestational age of 13.2 (95% range 10.5-17.1) weeks. Childhood fat, blood pressure, and blood concentrations of lipids, glucose, and insulin at the age of 10 years were measured. Results: Higher maternal early-pregnancy glucose and insulin concentrations were associated with a higher risk of childhood overweight, and higher maternal early-pregnancy insulin concentrations were associated with an increased childhood risk of clustering of cardiometabolic risk factors (all P < 0.05). These associations were explained by maternal prepregnancy BMI. Independent of maternal prepregnancy BMI, one SD score (SDS) higher maternal early-pregnancy glucose and insulin concentrations were associated with higher childhood glucose (0.08 SDS, 95% CI: 0.04-0.11) and insulin concentrations (0.07 SDS, 95% CI: 0.03-0.10), but not with childhood blood pressure, lipids, and fat measures. Conclusions: These results suggest that maternal early-pregnancy random glucose and insulin concentrations are associated with childhood glucose and insulin concentrations but not with other childhood cardiometabolic risk factors.