Metformin during pregnancy affects the brain development in offspring mice, study finds
With the rise in gestational diabetes and metabolic disorders during pregnancy, metformin is also being prescribed more frequently. Although it is known that the oral antidiabetic agent can cross the placental barrier, the impacts on the brain development of the child are largely unknown. An interdisciplinary research team from the German Institute of Human Nutrition […]
Hypertension, Diabetes in Pregnancy Affects Offspring’s Heart Health in Adolescence
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — Moms who had hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) or gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) were more likely to have kids with worse cardiovascular health (CVH) in adolescence, a secondary analysis of an observational cohort study found. Adjusted models showed higher risks for less-than-ideal CVH in kids ages 10 to 14 when mothers […]
ART Embryo Transfers to Gestational Carriers Increased Chances of Pregnancy
NEW ORLEANS — Assisted reproductive technology (ART) cycles with an embryo transfer to a gestational carrier increased the likelihood of pregnancy and live birth, an analysis of national data from 2014 to 2020 showed. In over 1 million ART cycles with an embryo transfer, those with a gestational carrier were more likely to result in […]
Genetic Risk Score Predicts Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy
With new genetic variants identified for preeclampsia and gestational hypertension, researchers created polygenic risk scores (PRS) that may better identify candidates for prophylactic low-dose aspirin among pregnant mothers. There were 18 independent genetic loci significantly associated with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDPs) — 12 of them new (i.e., MTHFR-CLCN6, WNT3A, NPR3, PGR, and RGL3) — […]
Babies Fare Better If Gestational Diabetes Is Treated Early in Second Trimester
Treating gestational diabetes early in pregnancy without waiting for confirmation of a repeat oral glucose-tolerance test (OGTT) improved neonatal outcomes, the TOBOGM randomized trial showed. For women first diagnosed before 20 weeks’ gestation, immediate treatment significantly reduced the composite incidence of adverse neonatal outcomes — preterm birth, birth trauma, high birth weight, respiratory distress, phototherapy, […]
Pregnant women with obesity and diabetes may be more likely to have a child with ADHD: Study only finds this association in women with excessive weight gain during pregnancy
Children of women with gestational diabetes and obesity may be twice as likely to develop attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) compared to those whose mothers did not have obesity, according to new research published in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. The estimated number of children aged 3-17 years ever diagnosed with ADHD is […]
Can Lower Gestational Diabetes Cutoff Improve Outcomes in Kids?
Using a lower threshold for diagnosing gestational diabetes in mothers didn’t reduce the risk of large-for-gestational-age infants, according to the GEMS trial. After randomizing over 4,000 pregnant women, 15.3% were diagnosed with gestational diabetes using lower, and commonly recommended, glycemic criteria versus 6.1% using a higher threshold, Caroline Crowther, MD, of the University of Auckland […]
Healthy diet in early pregnancy reduces risk of gestational diabetes
Obesity is a significant risk factor for developing gestational diabetes mellitus, and an increasing number of pregnant women are overweight or obese. Dietary habits have an impact on both obesity and the onset of gestational diabetes mellitus. The mother-child study conducted at the University of Turku and Turku University Hospital in Finland examined the connection […]
The 5:2 diet: A good choice for gestational diabetes
Weight loss after gestational diabetes can prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes. Yet finding the most effective way to lose weight and keep it off can be a challenge, especially for mothers with a new baby. Now, new research from the University of South Australia suggests that the popular 5:2 or intermittent fasting diet […]
USPSTF Again Backs Universal Screening for Gestational Diabetes
Clinicians should continue to screen for gestational diabetes in all asymptomatic pregnant patients during the second trimester, according to a recommendation from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). Providers should screen for gestational diabetes at 24 weeks’ gestation or later to improve maternal and fetal outcomes (grade B recommendation), stated Karina W. Davidson, PhD, […]