The Impact of Maternal Gestational Diabetes Mellitus on Minipuberty in Boys.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Minipuberty is thought to play an important role in the sexual maturation of infants. Maternal disorders during pregnancy were found to have an impact on the activity of the reproductive axis in the first year of life. This prospective, matched, cohort study was aimed at investigating whether the course of minipuberty in boys is affected by maternal gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

METHODS

The study population consisted of three matched groups of boys: infants born to women with poorly controlled GDM, sons of women with adequately controlled GDM, and infants of healthy women with normal carbohydrate tolerance during pregnancy (control group). Salivary levels of testosterone, androstenedione, DHEA-S and estradiol, and urinary concentrations of FSH and LH were repeatedly measured over the first 12 months of life. Hormone levels were correlated with the size of genital organs (testicular volume and penile length), which were measured at each visit.

RESULTS

Compared with the remaining groups, the male offspring of women with poorly controlled GDM were characterized by higher concentrations of both gonadotropins, higher salivary testosterone levels, lower salivary DHEA-S concentrations, and longer periods of detection for LH and testosterone. Levels of gonadotropin, testosterone and DHEA-S in sons of mothers with poorly controlled GDM correlated with mean levels of glycated hemoglobin during pregnancy. Moreover, the infant boys assigned to this group were characterized by larger sizes of the testes and penis. Over the entire study period, there were no differences in hormone levels, testicular volume and penile length between sons of adequately treated women with GDM and sons of healthy women.

CONCLUSIONS

The obtained results indicate that GDM, if poorly controlled, may affect the activity of the reproductive axis and postnatal growth of male genital organs in the offspring.