Endocrinology

Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a complex problem that is rising rapidly and parallels the overweight/obesity epidemic. It is now understood to affect the long-term health of both the pregnant woman and her unborn child. As understanding of GDM has increased, so has a growing recognition that it is a perpetuating factor in the rising prevalence of glucose intolerance in children and the development of type 2 diabetes in mothers. By definition, GDM is a disease diagnosed in women who first exhibit glucose intolerance during pregnancy. Therapy designed to control maternal blood glucose levels and other excess nutrients is implemented to reduce complications in the developing fetus and in the newborn infant. However, women with GDM have up to a 50% chance of developing type 2 diabetes within 5 -10 years of their pregnancy. Moreover, animal and large population studies have shown that the offspring of mothers with GDM are at risk for childhood overweight, impaired glucose intolerance, and impaired intellectual development. These clinical problems have been linked to a diabetic intrauterine environment that may provide excess glucose, fat, and other nutrients.. Because of the adverse effects of GDM on both mother and child, efforts have intensified to try and understand the intrauterine metabolic regulation of these excess nutrients. These efforts include how maternal nutrients are regulated in-utero and gain access to the fetus and how poor glucose control or excess fat intake in the mother can impact long-term health outcomes for the child.

Researchers in Endocrinology currently conducting gestational diabetes related research:

Barbour, Hernandez

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