Is Maternal Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 a Protective Factor for Atopic Dermatitis in Children? A Nationwide Retrospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND

Maternal metabolic conditions may influence the risk of inflammatory diseases in offspring, yet the relationship between maternal type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and atopic dermatitis (AD) in children remains unclear.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the association between maternal T2DM and the development of AD in offspring.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study of 314,224 mother-child pairs was conducted using electronic medical and birth records from Clalit Health Services in Israel (2010-2023). Maternal T2DM and child AD were identified by ICD-10 codes. Logistic regression was used to estimate adjusted odds ratios for AD, controlling for maternal age, socioeconomic status, gestational age, smoking, delivery type, ethnicity, and child sex.

RESULTS

Children born to mothers with T2DM had a lower crude prevalence of AD (23% vs 26%, P <0.001). Among mothers with T2DM, prior Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist use was not associated with differences in offspring AD prevalence. After multivariable adjustment, maternal T2DM was not associated with AD (Adjusted Odds Ratio [aOR] = 0.95, 95% confidence interval: 0.87-1.03, P = 0.209). Higher socioeconomic status, parental smoking, male sex, and maternal allergic rhinitis were independent predictors of AD.

CONCLUSIONS

Maternal T2DM was not found as a protective factor of AD in offspring. The observed protective trend may reflect confounding by sociodemographic or diagnostic factors. Prospective studies incorporating metabolic, immunological, and environmental data are warranted.