In pregnant women, does gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia weaken the child’s health in the long term? Do these metabolic disorders have an influence on the body mass index in children when they become adults?
To find out, scientists from New York University followed the children of 356 women for 18 to 72 months. As a result, “the association of gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia was linked to a very high BMI, even if the mother only suffered from one of these pathologies,” said Professor Yonglin Melissa Huang. These discoveries can improve the care of pregnant women, by obstetrics and gynecologists, endocrinologists and pediatricians.
When a pregnant woman has gestational diabetes, a hormone produced by the placenta blocks the use of insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar. This phenomenon results in an increase in the blood glucose level. Pre-eclampsia is a serious complication causing high blood pressure and damaging the kidneys and liver.
Note: in the United States, obesity affects 18.6% of the infant population aged 2 to 19. In France, obesity affects 4% of children and 17% are overweight. Other risk factors for obesity are genetic terrain, unbalanced diets and lack of exercise.
Cold medicines: towards less dangerous uses
Source: Destination Santé
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