A recent study published in JAMA Network Open suggests that preeclampsia and gestational diabetes may be linked to slow biological development in infants.

The biological age of newborns exposed to these two pregnancy issues was lower than their gestational age. The infants′ biological or "epigenetic" ages are established using molecular markers found in their cells.

Researchers gathered DNA samples from 1,801 babies from 12 cohorts across the United States. The babies born to mothers who had preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, or hypertension throughout their pregnancies were compared to pregnancies without any of these issues.

The researchers utilized these samples to determine the epigenetic age of each infant. The epigenetic age was then compared with the baby′s chronological age at birth, which was expressed in pregnancy weeks.

Results showed that babies with preeclampsia or gestational diabetes during their development in the womb were biologically younger than babies without those exposures suggesting that these exposures may have retarded the babies′ biological development. Compared to male babies, the difference was more apparent in female infants. Hypertension exposure had no discernible effect.

Researchers concluded that further studies need to be conducted with more participants to investigate if these biochemical abnormalities identified at birth are related to health outcomes later in childhood.

(Source: https://theprint.in/health/study-reveals-gestational-diabetes-preeclampsia-linked-to-slower-biological-development-in-infants/1399686/)