Abstract Body: Background: Several studies have investigated the association between maternal gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and the risk of elevated blood pressure in offspring, but findings have been inconsistent.
Objective: This study aimed to examine the association between maternal GDM and offspring’s hypertension risk from 6 to 8 years of age.
Methods:
A total of 1,156 mother-child pairs (578 with GDM and 578 without GDM) were followed longitudinally at a mean of 5.9 ± 1.2 years postpartum. Of these, 912 pairs (486 GDM and 426 non-GDM) remained at a follow-up conducted at 8.3 ± 1.6 years postpartum. Childhood blood pressure was measured using standardized protocols.
Results: At 5.9 years of age, children born to mothers with GDM had significantly higher mean value of systolic blood pressure Z scores compared to those born to mothers with normal glucose levels during pregnancy (0.05 vs. −0.21, P < 0.001). After adjusting for multiple variables, children of mothers with GDM had higher odds ratios of hypertension (OR 1.80, 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 1.73–1.86) and high blood pressure (OR 1.56, 95% CI: 1.06–2.31). At 8.3 years of age, the association between maternal GDM and childhood high blood pressure became stronger. Adjusted odds ratios were 2.89 (95% CI: 2.14–3.90) for hypertension and 2.16 (95% CI: 1.04–4.78) for high blood pressure.
Conclusions: Maternal GDM was an independent risk factor for childhood hypertension at both 5.9 and 8.3 years of age. The strength of this association increased with the child’s age.