Studies show that exposure to maternal diabetes in utero is assoicated with a 10-fold increased risk of developing obesity and diabetes, independnet of maternal obesity or birth size. Children with intraurterine exposure to diabetes also have higher blood pressure and higher triglycerides levels than non-exposed offspring. Provocative studies in animals models suggest that metabolic imprinting, or the altered metabolic mileau of diabetes in pregnancy, leads to abnormalities in the development of specific fetal tissues, including the hypothalamus and pancreatic islets. Therefore, the aim of this research is to perform metabolic studies in Hispanic youth to examine the effects of intrauterine exposure of gestational diabetes on adiposity, insulin sensitivity, and markers of cardiovascular risk.

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