Maternal Insulin Resistance During Pregnancy Linked to Higher Abdominal Fat in Girls: Study

A mother's metabolism during pregnancy may shape her daughter's future health years before childhood even begins.

New research presented at the European Congress of Endocrinology 2026 suggests that girls exposed to higher maternal insulin resistance during late pregnancy are more likely to develop increased abdominal fat by age seven. Researchers say the findings highlight how the metabolic environment in the womb can have long-lasting effects on children’s health — especially for girls.

The study, led by scientists from Odense University Hospital, analyzed data from 903 mothers and their children enrolled in the Odense Child Cohort. Researchers examined insulin resistance, fasting blood sugar, and insulin levels in women during the third trimester of pregnancy, when insulin resistance naturally peaks because of hormonal changes linked to the placenta.

Researchers found that girls whose mothers had higher insulin resistance during pregnancy showed greater fat accumulation around the abdomen, upper body, and lower body, along with higher total body fat percentages. Every 1 mmol/L increase in a mother’s fasting blood sugar level was linked to roughly a 6% increase in body fat percentage in girls.

Interestingly, the same association was not observed in boys. In boys, body fat levels were more strongly linked to the mother’s pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), while in girls, the metabolic conditions inside the womb appeared to play a more important role independent of maternal weight.

The researchers also noted that most mothers in the study were relatively lean and healthy, suggesting that even moderate insulin resistance during pregnancy may influence future fat storage patterns in daughters.

Scientists say the findings reinforce the importance of monitoring and improving metabolic health before and during pregnancy to support long-term health outcomes in children.

REFERENCE: Dr. Camilla Viola Palm; Higher maternal third trimester insulin resistance is linked to central fat deposition in 7-year-old girls. An Odense Child Cohort study; 28th European Congress of Endocrinology; https://www.news-medical.net/news/20260512/Maternal-insulin-resistance-linked-to-higher-abdominal-fat-in-girls.aspx#:~:text=Girls%20born%20to%20mothers%20with,Congress%20of%20Endocrinology%20in%20Prague.