The effect of intrauterine blood glucose exposure on the eruption of deciduous teeth within one year after birth in offspring: a prospective birth cohort study
Authors: Xu Qinwen , Zhang Liqin , Li Yanran , Yu Jie , Zhang Feng , Xu Xujuan 
Published: February 2024

Objective: The aim of this study is to explore the effect of intrauterine blood glucose exposure on the eruption of deciduous teeth in offspring within one year after birth, and to further investigate the impact of different degrees of intrauterine blood glucose exposure on the eruption of deciduous teeth in offspring by grouping them according to the maternal serum insulin levelsin the third trimester .
Materials and Methods: This study is a prospective cohort study. From July 2021 to January 2023, pregnant women who regularly checked in the antenatal clinic were selected as the research objects by the convenient sampling method of multiple centers. All the research objects were tested for oral glucose tolerance at 24-28 weeks of pregnancy. Among them, fasting serum insulin levels of pregnant women with abnormal glucose tolerance were measured after 32 weeks of pregnancy. The research objects were divided into the group unexposed to diabetes,exposed to GDM without IR and exposed to GDM with IR. Their offspring were followed up to the age of one year. The main results are the eruption timing of the first deciduous tooth in the offspring, the total number of teeth at the age of one year, and the teeth growth rate.
Results：This study included a total of 312 mothers and infants,which consisted of 108 children of mothers unexposed to diabetes, 97 children of mothers exposed to GDM without IR and 107 children of mothers exposed to GDM with IR. Univariate analysis of variance found no intergroup differences in the eruption time of the first deciduous tooth and the total number of teeth at the age of one year among the three groups. However, the group exposed to diabetes including the group exposed to GDM without IR and the group exposed to GDM with IR, had an average monthly tooth emergence rate faster than the group unexposed to diabetes, P<0.05. Spearman correlation analysis showed a significant positive correlation between the mother exposed to GDM and the eruption time and average monthly eruption speed of the first deciduous tooth in male offspring. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that gestational age and delivery method affect the eruption time of the first deciduous tooth in offspring, delivery method affects the total number of teeth in offspring at 12 months, and gestational age affects the teeth growth rate of offspring (P<0.05).
Conclusions：The first deciduoustooth eruption time of male offspring with maternal intrauterine blood glucose exposure was later than that of male offspring in the normal control group. Intrauterine blood glucose exposure increased the eruption speed of offspring, but there was no significant correlation between the eruption time and eruption speed of offspring's first deciduous tooth and the degree of maternal intrauterine blood glucose exposure.
Clinical Relevance:The eruption of deciduous teeth in offspring is related to maternal blood glucose exposure. Therefore, obstetrics and child health departments should pay attention to the impact of maternal blood glucose exposure on the development of baby teeth in offspring and develop corresponding intervention measures.