Is A Healthy Diet Associated with Lower Anthropometric and Glycemic Alterations in Predisposed Children Born from Mothers with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus?

Abstract

Children born from mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are at high-risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes. To date, there is a lack of effective strategies to prevent these complications. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between diet quality and anthropometric and glycemic profiles of children exposed (GDM+) and unexposed (GDM–) to GDM. A total of 104 GDM+ and 38 GDM– children were included. Two 24-h dietary recall questionnaires were used to assess dietary intakes. The Healthy Eating Index adapted for the Canadian population (HEI-C) was used to assess diet quality. Spearman correlations adjusted for children’s age and sex were computed. Mean age was 6.0 ± 2.5 and 6.8 ± 2.3 years for GDM+ and GDM–, respectively (p = 0.03). Total HEI-C score was negatively associated with the android-to-gynoid fat mass ratio (r = −0.29, p = 0.03) and homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index (r = −0.22, p = 0.04) in GDM+ children only. The prevalence of being overweight or obese during childhood was 4-fold higher among GDM+ children with a HEI-C score ≤70 compared to GDM+ children with a HEI-C score >70. Results of this study show that a healthy diet is associated with a better cardiometabolic health profile in GDM+ children, including a lower risk of being overweight or obese.