Maternal gestational diabetes mellitus and risk of early childhood overweight and obesity in Bangladesh
Introduction: Despite the rising prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity in low- and middle-income countries, studies on the impact of maternal gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) remain limited in Bangladesh.
Objective: To examine the association between maternal GDM and overweight/obesity in children aged 2–5 years.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from February 2026 to April 2026 at two government maternal and child health facilities in Dhaka, enrolling 175 mother–child pairs. Maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), age, and GDM status were based on maternal report and cross-checked against medical records when available. Child anthropometry was measured, and BMI-for-age z-scores were calculated using World Health Organization Child Growth Standards (2006); overweight was defined as a BMI-for-age z score >+2 to ≤+3 standard deviations (SD), and obesity as > +3 SD. Associations were assessed using chi-square tests, prevalence ratios (PRs), and multivariable logistic regression with adjustment for key maternal and perinatal covariates.
Results: Maternal GDM prevalence was 12.0%. Overall, 33.7% of children were classified as overweight or obese. Children born to mothers with GDM had a higher prevalence of overweight/obesity compared with children of non-GDM mothers (61.9% versus 29.9%; PR = 2.07, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.3–3.0; p = 0.003). Maternal GDM remained associated with childhood overweight/obesity after adjustment for selected maternal and perinatal covariates (adjusted OR = 2.2, 95% CI: 1.2–4.1; p = 0.014).
Conclusion: Maternal GDM was associated with a higher prevalence of early childhood overweight and obesity, independent of maternal age, pre-pregnancy BMI, or child birthweight. This suggests maternal metabolic health may be a useful target for future obesity-prevention research in Bangladesh.
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