Metabolic imprinting refers to the long-term physiological and metabolic effects that an offsprings prenatal and postnatal environments have on them. Perinatal nutrition has been identified as a significant factor in determining an offsprings likelihood of it being predisposed to developing cardiovascular disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes amongst other conditions.
During pregnancy, maternal glucose can cross the blood-placental barrier meaning maternal hyperglycaemia is associated with foetal hyperglycaemia. Despite maternal glucose being able to cross the blood-placental barrier, maternal insulin is not able and the foetus has to make its own. As a result, if a mother is hyperglycaemic the foetus is likely to be hyperinsulinaemic which leads to it having increased levels of growth and adiposity.