Features of anthropometric indicators of children from mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus and morphological changes in their placental tissue

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a condition characterized by hyperglycemia first detected during pregnancy, but not meeting the criteria for overt diabetes. GDM is one of the most significant problems in the modern world due to its high prevalence, which necessitates studying the disease and its impact on the child. The relevance of this condition is due to its high and steadily increasing prevalence, which correlates with the epidemic of obesity and a sedentary lifestyle. Studying the pathophysiological mechanisms of GDM, especially at the placental level, is not just of scientific interest but an urgent necessity for developing effective preventive and therapeutic strategies. In the placenta with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), inflammatory, destructive, and dystrophic changes are detected, manifested by impaired microcirculation, fibrosis of the villous stroma, and endothelial dysfunction of the vessels. The identified structural damage leads to functional insufficiency, accompanied by impaired nutrient transport and chronic intrauterine hypoxia. In addition to significant obstetric complications, GDM increases the risk of macrosomia, preterm birth, and premature rupture of membranes. In our article, we present the characteristics of anthropometric indicators, gestational age at birth of children from mothers with gestational diabetes, and placental changes, showing that in this pathology, the mother has an increased likelihood of inflammatory and destructive changes in placental tissue, which, of course, can affect the fetus. Our study convincingly demonstrates that GDM is not merely an episode of hyperglycemia, but a systemic pathology that triggers a cascade of pathological reactions in the placenta, which are a key pathophysiological link mediating the entire spectrum of adverse effects on the fetus – from macrosomia to chronic hypoxia.

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