20 Nov 2024 • In a recent study involving 198 infants, 52% of whom were exposed to gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), researchers found that infants exposed to GDM had higher fat mass (FM), percent body fat, and BMI at birth compared to unexposed infants.

However, over the first year, a larger proportion of GDM-exposed infants showed slower fat mass and body fat gain.

Specifically, GDM exposure was linked to a 69% lower likelihood of infants reaching the highest fat mass trajectory (4 kg of FM by 1 year).

No significant associations were found between GDM exposure and fat-free mass (FFM) or weight/BMI-for-age trajectories.

These results suggest that while GDM exposure leads to increased adiposity at birth, the pattern of fat accumulation during infancy diverges from that of unexposed infants, challenging current assumptions about neonatal body composition. Further research is needed to assess the long-term impacts of these early growth trajectories. Source: The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition Read full story