Exposure to untreated gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in utero increases the risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes in adulthood, and increased adiposity in GDM-exposed infants is suggested as a plausible mediator of this increased risk of later-life metabolic disorders. Evidence is equivocal regarding the impact of good glycaemic control in GDM mothers on infant adiposity at birth. We systematically reviewed studies reporting fat mass (FM), percent fat mass (%FM) and skinfold thicknesses (SFT) at birth in infants of mothers with GDM controlled with therapeutic interventions (IGDMtr). While treating GDM lowered FM in newborns compared to no treatment, there was no difference in FM and SFT according to the type of treatment (insulin, metformin, glyburide). IGDMtr had higher overall adiposity (mean difference, 95% confidence interval) measured with FM (68.46 g, 29.91 to 107.01) and %FM (1.98%, 0.54 to 3.42) but similar subcutaneous adiposity measured with SFT, compared to infants exposed to normal glucose tolerance (INGT). This suggests that IGDMtr may be characterised by excess fat accrual in internal adipose tissue. Given that intra-abdominal adiposity is a major risk factor for metabolic disorders, future studies should distinguish adipose tissue distribution of IGDMtr and INGT.
Keywords: adiposity; fat mass; gestational diabetes mellitus; infants; newborns; skinfold thickness; treatment.