[Risk of diabetes mellitus, variations in glucose tolerance, insulin secretion and lipid parameters in offspring of diabetic mothers].

BACKGROUND

Children of diabetic mothers are a relatively new population group which started its existence due to revolutionary changes in the treatment of insulin-dependent diabetes during pregnancy. In the Institute for the Care of Mother and Child since the fifties comprehensive care of diabetic mothers was concentrated and thus it became possible to follow-up a relatively large group of their children to adult age.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The authors investigated 176 children of diabetic mothers (CDM) aged 20.75 +/- 0.31 years. All mothers suffered from insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). In 7.95% CDM diabetes developed at the age of 11-23 years (IDDM in 4.54% and NIDDM in 3.41% of CDM). An impaired glucose tolerance was revealed in 6.25%. The mean blood sugar level during the oral glucose tolerance test was significantly higher than in a control group of 31 subjects of the same average age without a family-history of diabetes (p < 0.01). The ratio of insulinaemia to the blood sugar level was markedly higher not only when the glucose tolerance was impaired (p < 0.005) but also in CDM with a normal glucose tolerance (p < 0.025). The total cholesterol and triacylglycerol levels did not differ from the control group. In the group of DDM with an impaired glucose tolerance the non-esterified fatty acid levels were higher, as compared with controls (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The results of the described group of CDM which is one of the groups followed-up for the longest period reported in the literature indicate the risk of children of diabetic mothers and the necessity to follow-up and screen subclinical signs of the disease.