Study says high blood sugar during pregnancy can put babies at a higher risk of obesity

A recent study has found out that woman with higher blood sugar levels during pregnancy can put babies at a significantly greater long-term risk of obesity. The higher the woman’s blood sugar, the greater the risk of her child being obese. The researchers’ have suspected that the epigenetic changes are likely to be influencing these long-term outcomes and those changes begin quite early in pregnancy.


The study had evaluated children 10 to 14 years after birth in 10 clinical centers in seven countries: the US, Canada, Israel, the UK, Hong Kong, Thailand, and Barbados. The study included 4,697 mothers and 4,832 children.


Professor Boyd Metzger said, “The mother’s blood sugar level during pregnancy is an independent contributor to the child’s weight and risk of being obese later in childhood.”


Co-author Wendy Brickman said, “The results are important because they demonstrate that even women with mild hyperglycaemia during pregnancy and their offspring are at risk of harmful maternal and child health outcomes. Research is needed to identify interventions that will improve the health outcomes of these women and children.”


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