Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a common pregnancy complication. While obesity and family history of diabetes are known risk factors of GDM, the underlying intricate molecular mechanisms still remain largely poorly defined. Identification and investigation of novel metabolites is critical for improving our understanding of GDM etiology and for potentially developing better preventative approaches of GDM to disrupt the ‘diabetes begetting diabetes’ viscious circle.

With these goals, the aim of the study is to investigate

1. Modifiable risk factors of GDM, such as nutrition, dietary, and lifestyle factors.
2. Novel modifiable biomarkers that may inform precision prevention of diabetes. These include targeted and non-targted metabolomics, lipidomics, and microbiome profiles, and cardio-metabolic biomarkers.
3. In the context of known common pre-pregnancy and maternal risk factors, building upon the main aim listed above, another potential aim is to explore methodological developments that can identify sparse and interpretable metabolite features and facilitate mediation analysis with high dimensional exposures.

To achieve these research goals, the study will leverage upon comprehensive and longitudinal data and biospecimen collected in the NICHD Fetal Growth Study which included 2,802 pregnant women of four race/ethnicity with risk factors and biomarkers data at four timepoints in pregnancy.