South Korea study links severe gestational diabetes to higher diabetes risk in children
In short
South Korea's National Institute of Health said children of mothers who had gestational diabetes are more likely to develop diabetes, with the risk rising to 4.3 times for type 2 diabetes among children of mothers who needed insulin during pregnancy. The study tracked 3,491,680 mother-child pairs born between 2009 and 2018 through the end of 2022. The institute said high-risk children should have their weight and blood sugar checked periodically as they grow.
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South Korea's National Institute of Health, part of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, said on Oct. 7 that children born to mothers who had gestational diabetes face a higher risk of developing diabetes as they grow, with the risk highest among children of mothers who needed insulin treatment during pregnancy. According to the institute, those children had 4.3 times the risk of type 2 diabetes and 1.9 times the risk of type 1 diabetes compared with children of mothers with normal blood sugar, as reported by Yonhap and other outlets. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
The study used National Health Insurance Service data on 3,491,680 mother-child pairs, covering births from 2009 to 2018 and following the children until the end of 2022 — up to 14 years, with a median follow-up of 9.5 years. Researchers divided mothers into three groups: no gestational diabetes, gestational diabetes managed without insulin, and gestational diabetes treated with insulin, and adjusted for factors including maternal age, income, residence, depression, pre-pregnancy hypertension and lipid disorders and the child's sex. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
About 420,000 children, or 12.1% of births, were born to mothers with gestational diabetes, and about 30,000 of those mothers (7.1%) received insulin. Children of mothers whose diabetes was managed without insulin had a 1.28 times higher risk of type 2 diabetes; for children of mothers who needed insulin, the risk rose to 4.3 times, or 4.329 times in the figure cited by the Dong-A Ilbo. For type 1 diabetes, the increase was not statistically significant in the non-insulin group but was 1.9 times higher in the insulin group. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
The institute described the work as the largest study in an Asian population to analyse separately how gestational diabetes affects children's type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Kyunghyang Shinmun and the Dong-A Ilbo said the results were published in the international journal BMC Medicine, with Kyunghyang saying the paper appeared in March. Yonhap noted that gestational diabetes occurs in more than one in 10 pregnancies globally, and that although blood sugar usually returns to normal after birth, the risk of later type 2 diabetes remains. [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]
Kim Won-ho, head of the institute's Chronic Disease Convergence Research Department, said “blood sugar management during pregnancy is linked not only to the mother's own health but also to the child's lifelong health,” adding that children of high-risk mothers who needed insulin should have their weight and blood sugar checked periodically as they grow. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Newsis's headline, published at noon, summarised the finding as a risk of diabetes up to four times or more for children of mothers with gestational diabetes, without specifying which type of diabetes. [ 1 ]
Why it matters
The finding rests on a national cohort of 3.49 million mother-child pairs, which the institute calls the largest in an Asian population to analyse type 1 and type 2 diabetes outcomes separately, giving it weight for screening advice in Korea. Publication in a peer-reviewed international journal means the results may feed into guidance on monitoring children of mothers who needed insulin. The documents do not describe any change in policy or clinical guidelines.
Key facts
- The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's National Institute of Health announced the findings on Oct. 7, based on National Health Insurance Service data. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- The study covered 3,491,680 mother-child pairs born between 2009 and 2018, followed until the end of 2022, up to 14 years (median 9.5 years). [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Children of mothers who received insulin treatment during pregnancy had 4.3 times the risk of type 2 diabetes and 1.9 times the risk of type 1 diabetes. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- Children of mothers whose gestational diabetes was managed without insulin had a 1.28 times higher risk of type 2 diabetes, while their type 1 diabetes risk was not statistically significant. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- About 420,000 children (12.1% of births) were born to mothers with gestational diabetes, and about 30,000 of those mothers (7.1%) received insulin. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- The institute described the research as the largest study in an Asian population to analyse the effects on type 1 and type 2 diabetes separately. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Kyunghyang Shinmun and the Dong-A Ilbo said the results were published in the international journal BMC Medicine. [ 4 , 5 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The National Institute of Health announced the research on Oct. 7 using National Health Insurance Service data, and the announcement is the source of the figures reported. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- Children of mothers who needed insulin during pregnancy had about 4.3 times the risk of type 2 diabetes. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- Children of mothers who needed insulin had 1.9 times the risk of type 1 diabetes, while the increase was not statistically significant for mothers managed without insulin. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Mothers were split into three groups — no gestational diabetes, gestational diabetes managed without insulin, and gestational diabetes treated with insulin — with adjustments for maternal age, income, residence, depression, pre-pregnancy hypertension and lipid disorders, and child sex. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- 12.1% of births were to mothers with gestational diabetes, and 7.1% of those mothers received insulin. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
Still unclear
- Whether the higher diabetes risk in children is caused by the mother's gestational diabetes. The documents describe an association found in cohort data and recommend monitoring, but do not state a causal mechanism.
- The exact size of the type 2 diabetes risk for children of insulin-treated mothers. Seoul Economic Daily, Yonhap and Kyunghyang Shinmun report 4.3 times, while the Dong-A Ilbo summary gives 4.329 times.
- How broadly the risk figures apply beyond the Korean cohort studied. The documents describe the cohort as Korean and Asian-population data but do not discuss other populations.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Newsis, Seoul Economic Daily and Yonhap publish reports on the study; Yonhap and Seoul Economic Daily cite the National Institute of Health's Oct. 7 announcement and the insurance data behind it. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Kyunghyang Shinmun publishes its report, adding that the study appeared in the journal BMC Medicine in March and describing how gestational diabetes is diagnosed, usually at 24 to 28 weeks. [ 4 ]
- The Dong-A Ilbo publishes a summary citing a 4.329-times risk of type 2 diabetes for children of mothers who needed insulin. [ 5 ]