The effect of maternal diabetes during pregnancy on the neurodevelopment of offspring

Abstract

As many as 10% of pregnancies are complicated by maternal glucose intolerance. With the risk of diabetes and gestational diabetes rising because of the obesity epidemic, that figure is likely to rise. Many obese individuals suffer from the metabolic syndrome, which makes them more prone to glucose intolerance when they are pregnant. Among the potential risks posed by poor maternal glucose control are those to the developing fetal brain. The goal of this article is to acquaint physicians with the results and clinical implications of studies conducted at the University of Minnesota on outcomes of infants of diabetic mothers and, in particular, on the role of iron deficiency in differential brain processing.