Impact of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus on Fetal Growth and Nutritional Status in Newborns

Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is one of the most prevalent complications associated with pregnancy, exhibiting a gradual rise in prevalence worldwide. Given the potential for numerous short- and long-term complications for both mother and child, patients diagnosed with GDM require individualised treatment to compensate for metabolic abnormalities and ultimately reduce the risk of the known adverse consequences of impaired glucose tolerance. Methods and results: The manuscript presents a summary of the current knowledge on changes in maternal metabolism during physiological pregnancy and pregnancy complicated by gestational diabetes. Furthermore, the article provides a synthesis of the findings from recent research examining the impacts of gestational diabetes and the therapeutic modalities employed on the nutritional status of the fetus and neonate. Additionally, the review elucidates the function of the placenta and placental hormones in fetal development, as well as the impact of hyperglycemia, insulin resistance and adipokines on fetal and neonatal nutritional programming and predisposition to metabolic complications in adulthood. Conclusions: The metabolic environment, resulting from abnormal glucose tolerance during pregnancy, exerts a particularly significant impact on fetal growth and, consequently, on the birth weight and fat mass of the newborn infants. This is a pivotal factor influencing the nutritional and metabolic programming of the developing fetus, predisposing the individual to the development of metabolic complications throughout their lifetime.