Higher BMI mothers with type 1 diabetes have thicker children

Higher BMI in offspring of mothers with type 1 diabetes

Researchers have found that the risk of overweight and insulin resistance in children of mothers with type 1 diabetes is significantly increased. Therefore, it would be advisable, according to a study author, to pay attention early on to appropriate warning signs in the affected children.

Incurable metabolic disease

More and more children are suffering from type 1 diabetes. The metabolic disease is not curable so far. What role does the disease play if those affected get offspring? Scientists from the Helmholtz Zentrum München and the Technical University of Munich addressed this question. They found in their study that the risk of overweight and insulin resistance in children of mothers with type 1 diabetes is significantly increased.

A new study found that children with type 1 diabetes moms are at significantly higher risk for the disease itself, as well as overweight and insulin resistance. (Image: tortoon / fotolia.com)

Higher risk of pregnancy complications

The German Society of Internal Medicine e. According to V. (DGIM), about every hundredth child in Germany is born by a mother with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes.

"The risk of complications is significantly increased in these pregnancies," the experts write in a statement.

For example, diabetics often have a premature birth and malformations of the offspring are more common.

High blood sugar levels with long-term effects

Furthermore, it is known that the risk of type 1 diabetes in children of affected parents is much higher than in the general population, according to a statement of the Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health.

"In addition, there was isolated evidence from previous studies that children of mothers with type 1 diabetes also carry an increased risk of metabolic syndrome, since the occasionally high levels of glucose in the womb seem to have long-term effects on the metabolism and body weight of the offspring" explains PD Dr. med. Andreas Beyerlein.

"We wanted to put this discussion now on a solid data basis," said the statistician and epidemiologist who continued the study together with Prof. Dr. med. Anette-Gabriele Ziegler, Institute for Diabetes Research of Helmholtz Zentrum München and Research Group Diabetes e.V., lead responsible.

Genesis mechanisms of type 1 diabetes

The starting point of her work was three large studies aimed at elucidating the mechanisms of type 1 diabetes (TEENDIAB, BABYDIAB and BABYDIET)..

"Overall, we examined data from nearly 2,800 children who had a first-degree relatives with type 1 diabetes," says first author Anitha Pitchika. "They were examined for metabolism and body weight until they were 18 years old."

Anette-Gabriele Ziegler adds: "These evaluations were only possible in this form with our datasets, which contain a sufficiently large number of mothers with type 1 diabetes who, even decades ago, often advised against having children because of the high birth risks at that time has been."

Significantly higher BMI

The researchers noticed that children whose mothers had type 1 diabetes before pregnancy had a significantly higher body mass index (BMI) than children from healthy mothers.

"Among the participants in the TEENDIAB study," explains Andreas Beyerlein, "the risk of a later overweight was more than twice as high."

Also, other values ​​such as hip circumference, fasting glucose levels or the risk of insulin resistance were significantly increased if the mother had type 1 diabetes.

Previously, the scientists had already excluded possible confounding factors such as mother's socioeconomic status or a higher birth weight.

Watch early for appropriate warning signals

To find out how the differences were caused by fundamental changes in the pediatric metabolism, researchers from 500 participants in the TEENDIAB study collected so-called metabolomics data.

In fact, however, they failed to detect significant maternal type 1 diabetes-related changes in metabolic products and pathways.

"Our study shows that children with type 1 diabetes moms not only have a significantly higher risk of the disease itself, but also overweight and insulin resistance," says Anette-Gabriele Ziegler.

"It would therefore be advisable for children and adolescents to have this connection in mind in the future and to ensure that appropriate warning signs are given to the affected children at an early stage."

The study was recently published in the journal "Diabetologia". (Ad)