Predictors of Overweight during Childhood in Offspring of Parents with Type 1 Diabetes

Abstract

Objective. To study which perinatal factors affect the risk of childhood overweight in offspring with a first-degree relative (FDR) with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and to determine whether maternal diabetes is an independent contributor to overweight risk.

Research Design and Methods. Data on a child's weight and height were collected at age 2, 5 and 8 years from 1214 children participating in the prospective BABYDIAB study. All children had a FDR with T1D, including 783 whose mothers had T1D. Overweight was defined as BMI percentile ≥90. Data on birth size, breastfeeding, maternal age and smoking during pregnancy were collected by questionnaires. Risk estimates were calculated by logistic regression analyses.

Results. Breastfeeding duration and birth size both contributed significantly to overweight risk at all age intervals. Full breastfeeding >4 months or any breastfeeding >6 months reduced risk of overweight (age 8 years: OR 0.3; 95%CI:0.2-0.7, p=0.004 and OR 0.3; 95%CI:0.1-0.6, p=0.001). Large for gestational age status increased risk of overweight (age 8 years: OR 2.4; 95%CI:1.4-4.3, p=0.002). Importantly, no evidence was found for an independent contribution of maternal T1D to childhood overweight.

Conclusions. Our findings indicate that maternal T1D is not an independent risk factor for overweight during childhood in offspring of type 1 diabetic mothers, but that factors associated with maternal T1D, such as short breastfeeding duration and high birth size, predispose children to overweight during childhood.