Abstract:
This research investigated the effects of experimentally induced diabetes in white
outbred female rats on their fertility and the early postnatal development of their offspring. The
experiment revealed that diabetes negatively impacts fertility, pregnancy progression, and physical
development in newborns. In female rats with experimentally induced diabetes, pregnancy rates
decreased to 62%, and the duration of pregnancy increased to 24–26 days. Offspring of diabetic
females showed signs of compromised development, characterized by obesity, abnormally large size
(macrosomia), and delayed milestones in physiological maturation, including later detachment of ear
pinnae, slower fur growth, delayed emergence of incisors, and later opening of the eyes. These results
confirm that diabetes in the maternal organism leads to decreased fertility and the birth of
physiologically immature and less viable animals, highlighting the importance of monitoring the
mother's health during pregnancy
