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Clinical Summary

Maternal obesity linked to T1D risk in offspring

Takeaway

  • Study encompassing 2 of the world’s largest pregnancy cohorts revealed a positive association between both maternal and paternal BMI and development of childhood-onset type 1 diabetes (T1D).
  • No association was observed between maternal gestational weight gain and childhood T1D.
  • Findings suggest that factors influencing BMI in family, and not intrauterine mechanisms, explain association between maternal obesity and childhood T1D.

Why this matters

  • Previous evidence regarding association between maternal BMI or maternal gestational weight gain and risk for development of T1D in offspring is inconclusive.
  • Paternal BMI, which could clarify in utero effect of maternal pre-pregnancy, has not been evaluated previously in relation to T1D.

Study design

  • 132,331 children born between February 1998 and July 2009 who participated in Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study and the Danish National Birth Cohort were evaluated.
  • Parental BMI was categorised as underweight (<18.5), normal (18.5-24.9), overweight (25-29.9) and obese (≥30).
  • Funding: None disclosed.

Key results

  • Across both cohorts, maternal pre-pregnancy (aHR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.06-1.89) and paternal (aHR, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.11-2.04) obesity were associated with an increased risk for childhood-onset T1D.
  • Even after mutual adjustment, the association was similar.
  • Maternal gestational weight gain throughout pregnancy was not associated with risk for childhood-onset T1D (aHR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.99-1.02).

Limitations

  • Risk for selection bias.
  • Parental height and weight were self-reported.

References


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