The Finnish Gestational Diabetes Study (FinnGeDi)

Duration:

1.1.2009 -

Unit at THL:

Population Health

On other websites:

We study how maternal gestational diabetes effect on health of the family.

Objectives

To assess the effects of maternal gestational diabetes on the health and well-being of the family. We focus on cardiometabolic risk factors, mental health and offspring growth and development.

Implementation

FinnGeDi includes two arms: a prospective clinical, genetic case-control arm and a national register-based arm.

The clinical-genetic arm includes 1146 pregnant women with gestational diabetes and 1066 controls, who gave birth in one of seven secondary or tertiary level hospitals in Finland (Oulu, Helsinki, Jyväskylä, Pori, Kajaani, Seinäjoki, and Lappeenranta) in 2009-2012, together with their children and the children’s fathers.

DNA samples were collected from all participants (mothers, fathers and children). Additionally, cord blood samples were collected from children. Mothers and fathers fulfilled a questionnaire including family history, health and lifestyle-related data; and maternal and child medical data were collected from hospital and welfare records. Data are supplemented by data from children’s and biobanks, national registers including Medical Birth Register and Care

Register of Health Care maintained by THL, Medication Reimbursement Register maintained by National Social Insurance Institution and Census data obtained from Statistics Finland.

A clinical follow-up study has been initiated after 10-15 years of index pregnancy with the main objective of assessing the consequences of gestational diabetes on cardiovascular and metabolic health of the mothers, with a special focus on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. 200 women with gestational diabetes in the index pregnancy (2009-2012) and 200 women without history of gestational diabetes in the index pregnancy currently residing in Oulu region participate in the study. Clinical and anthropometric measurements, assessment of lifestyle, physical fitness and behavioral factors, oral examination, imaging studies and biochemical analyses are carried out.

The register arm includes women with singleton pregnancies who gave birth in Finland in 2009 according to Medical Birth Register and their families (children, fathers, children’s grandparents). Data is compiled by national registers e.g. Care Register of Health Care maintained by THL, Medication Reimbursement Register maintained by National Social Insurance Institution and Census data obtained from Statistics Finland.

Partners

  • University of Oulu
  • Oulu University Hospital
  • Biobank Borealis
  • Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
  • Imperial College London, London, England
  • Institut Pasteur de Lille, Lille, France
  • Pregnancy and Childhood Epigenetics (PACE) -consortium
  • LongITools -European research project
  • Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway

Funding

  • Academy of Finland
  • Sigrid Jusélius Foundation
  • Emil Aaltonen Foundation
  • Juho Vainio Foundation
  • Foundation for Diabetes Research
  • Signe and Ane Gyllenberg Foundation
  • Yrjö Jahnsson Foundation
  • Novo Nordisk Foundation
  • Päivikki and Sakari Sohlberg Foundation
  • The Finnish Medical Foundation
  • Agence Nationale de la Recherche, France
  • Diabetes UK, United Kingdom
  • Suorsa Foundation
  • Otto A. Malm foundation
  • The Finnish Foundation for Cardiovascular Research

The register keeper of the study is Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL). The responsible principle investigator at THL is Professor, Research Manager Eero Kajantie. The scientific principal investigator is Professor Marja Vääräsmäki at University of Oulu.

Data collected in the study are processed by research group members at THL and collaborating institutions. Data are processed such that it is not possible to directly identify individuals. Access to data is protected by username and password. The data are confidential.

Personal data are processed for scientific research. Data are stored for the duration of follow-up data collection. The need to store data is evaluated on a regular basis.

Tutkimuksen tietosuojailmoitus (in Finnish) (pdf 184 kb)

Contact information

Eero Kajantie
Research Manager
Professor of life course medicine
tel. +358 2952 48610

Data Protection Officer

tietosuoja(at)thl.fi

Data protection legislation grants the study participant specific rights that the participant may exercise to ensure privacy as one of fundamental rights. Should you wish to exercise these rights, please contact kirjaamo(at)thl.fi

You have the right to make an appeal to the Office of the Data Protection Ombudsman, if you consider that prevailing data protection legislation has not been followed when your personal data have been used. 

Office of the Data Protection Ombudsman
Street address: Ratapihantie 9, 6th floor, 00520 Helsinki
Mail address: PL 800, 00521 Helsinki
Telephone: +358 29 566 6700
Telefax +358 29 566 6735
E-mail: tietosuoja(at)om.fi

Updated: