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REVIEW article

Front. Clin. Diabetes Healthc.
Sec. Diabetes and Pregnancy
Volume 5 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fcdhc.2024.1351317
This article is part of the Research Topic Neglected Nuances in Gestational Diabetes View all 5 articles

REVIEW: The Influence of Fetal Sex on Antenatal Maternal Glucose and Insulin Dynamics

Provisionally accepted
Thomas P Mullins Thomas P Mullins 1*Linda A Gallo Linda A Gallo 2H. David McIntyre H. David McIntyre 1,3Helen L Barrett Helen L Barrett 4,5
  • 1 Mater Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
  • 2 School of Health, University of the Sunshine Coast, Moreton Bay, Australia
  • 3 Mater Hospital Brisbane, South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
  • 4 Obstetric Medicine, Royal Hospital for Women, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
  • 5 Medicine, University of New South Wales, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    The 'Developmental Origins of Health and Disease' (DOHaD) hypothesis postulates that exposures during critical periods of development and growth, including maternal hyperglycaemia, can have significant consequences for short-and long-term health in offspring [1]. The influence of fetal status on maternal (patho)physiology is less well understood but gaining attention. Fetal sex specifically may be an independent risk factor for a range of adverse pregnancy outcomes, including increased gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) frequency with male fetuses in multi-ethnic populations [2,3].Fetal sex has been thought to modulate maternal glucose metabolism, including insulin dynamics, through complex genetic and hormonal interactions. Mechanisms have not been fully elucidated, however, but may relate to sexual dimorphism in maternal-fetal-placental interactions. We review current evidence on the potential influence of fetal sex on maternal glucose and insulin dynamics, and fetal outcomes.

    Keywords: gestational diabetes mellitus, Fetal sex, Maternal metabolism, Mechanism, Glucose, Insulin

    Received: 06 Dec 2023; Accepted: 29 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Mullins, Gallo, McIntyre and Barrett. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Thomas P Mullins, Mater Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia

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