Maternal Glucose Concentrations in Early Pregnancy and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Childhood

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the associations of maternal early‐pregnancy glucose and insulin concentrations with offspring cardiometabolic risk factors and fat distribution. METHODS: In a population‐based prospective cohort study among 3,737 mothers and their children, random maternal glucose and insulin concentrations were measured at a median gestational age of 13.2 (95% range 10.5‐17.1) weeks. Childhood fat, blood pressure, and blood concentrations of lipids, glucose, and insulin at the age of 10 years were measured. RESULTS: Higher maternal early‐pregnancy glucose and insulin concentrations were associated with a higher risk of childhood overweight, and higher maternal early‐pregnancy insulin concentrations were associated with an increased childhood risk of clustering of cardiometabolic risk factors (all P < 0.05). These associations were explained by maternal prepregnancy BMI. Independent of maternal prepregnancy BMI, one SD score (SDS) higher maternal early‐pregnancy glucose and insulin concentrations were associated with higher childhood glucose (0.08 SDS, 95% CI: 0.04‐0.11) and insulin concentrations (0.07 SDS, 95% CI: 0.03‐0.10), but not with childhood blood pressure, lipids, and fat measures. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that maternal early‐pregnancy random glucose and insulin concentrations are associated with childhood glucose and insulin concentrations but not with other childhood cardiometabolic risk factors.