Children born from mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are at high-risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes. To date, there is a lack of effective strategies to prevent these complications. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between diet quality and anthropometric and glycemic profiles of children exposed (GDM+) and unexposed (GDM⁻) to GDM. A total of 104 GDM+ and 38 GDM⁻ children were included. Two 24-h dietary recall questionnaires were used to assess dietary intakes. The Healthy Eating Index adapted for the Canadian population (HEI-C) was used to assess diet quality. Spearman correlations adjusted for children's age and sex were computed. Mean age was 6.0 ± 2.5 and 6.8 ± 2.3 years for GDM+ and GDM⁻, respectively (p = 0.03). Total HEI-C score was negatively associated with the android-to-gynoid fat mass ratio (r = -0.29, p = 0.03) and homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index (r = -0.22, p = 0.04) in GDM+ children only. The prevalence of being overweight or obese during childhood was 4-fold higher among GDM+ children with a HEI-C score ≤70 compared to GDM+ children with a HEI-C score >70. Results of this study show that a healthy diet is associated with a better cardiometabolic health profile in GDM+ children, including a lower risk of being overweight or obese.
Keywords: gestational diabetes; healthy diet; obesity; type 2 diabetes.