Mothers With Gestational Diabetes ups Body Fat in Babies

Babies born to mothers with gestational diabetes are likely to have more body fat at two months after birth as compared to babies born to healthy mothers, suggests new study led by researchers including an Indian-origin scientist.

The findings revealed although babies born to mothers with gestational diabetes had no differences in body fat content at birth, after two months they had 16 percent more body fat compared to those born to healthy mothers.

"This new study suggests diabetes in the mother can trigger changes in the baby at a very early stage," said lead author Karen Logan, in Britain.

Also, babies born to these mothers are at increased risk of developing diabetes in adulthood.

Changes in the baby's metabolism while in the womb or even differences in the composition of breast milk in mothers with gestational diabetes can be some of the reasons behind the differences, the researchers said in the paper published in the journal Diabetes Care.

Gestational diabetes usually starts when the woman is around seven months pregnant and results in a woman's blood sugar levels becoming too high. Excess weight and other factors such as genetic predisposition have been identified as the main causes of gestational diabetes.