Babies born to diabetic mothers prone to obesity

September 3rd, 2007

Diabetes can leave your child prone to childhood obesity. Now here’s a good reason for new mothers to monitor their blood sugar levels.

A new study shows that babies born to mothers with a condition called Gestational diabetes run double the risk of childhood obesity.

Gestational diabetes is a form of diabetes that affects pregnant women who have never had diabetes before.

It occurs in about 4% of pregnancies. And high blood sugar during pregnancy, could result in overfeeding the child in the womb — leading to changes in the baby’s metabolic mechanism. That makes them prone to develop obesity and diabetes.

A five-year study carried on by the American Diabetes Association, found that children born to mothers with poorly controlled high blood sugar are 89 percent more likely to be overweight than those born to mothers with regular levels of blood sugar.

These children also have 82 percent higher chances of developing obesity between the ages of 5 and 7. Over 82 percent more chances of being obese between the ages of 5 and 7-is very significant. Because a child’s weight during this age is strongly predictive of his or her weight later in life. It’s as good as saying that the child may develop diabetes.

Doctors have already found that childhood obesity is a big risk factor when it comes to childhood diabetes, the early onset of diabetes in adulthood and other hormonal disorders.

But here’s what mothers really need to know. If gestational diabetes is treated in time, your child is not at risk of childhood obesity. So make sure you get your doctor to regularly monitor your blood sugar levels.

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