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Early Malnutrition and Child Neurobehavioral Development: Insights from the Study of Children of Diabetic Mothers
Author(s) -
Rizzo Thomas A.,
Metzger Boyd E.,
Dooley Sharon L.,
Cho Nam H.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
child development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.103
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1467-8624
pISSN - 0009-3920
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-8624.1997.tb01922.x
Subject(s) - wechsler intelligence scale for children , psychology , offspring , wechsler adult intelligence scale , pregnancy , developmental psychology , intelligence quotient , child development , cognition , clinical psychology , psychiatry , biology , genetics
In this study we sought to discern whether disturbances in mothers' metabolism during pregnancy may exert long‐range effects on the neurobehavioral development of the progeny. Participants were 139 Women with diabetes in pregnancy and their singleton offspring. Serial estimates of circulating maternal fuels were obtained for each pregnancy, along with detailed records of perinatal course and outcome. Offspring were administered the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for children—Revised (WISC‐R) full‐scale IQ scores below 70 in our cohort did not differ significantly from national estimates. Nonetheless, after statistically controlling for other influences, WISC‐R verbal, performance, and full‐scale IQ scores, and Bannatyne's indices of Verbal Conceptualization Ability, Acquired Knowledge, Spatial Ability, and Sequencing Ability were inversely correlated with measures, of maternal lipid and glucose metabolism in the second and third trimesters. KTEA Arithmetic scores were similarly correlated with measures of maternal lipids in the third trimester. All correlations indicate that poorer metabolic regulation was attended by poorer child performance. The effects of maternal metabolism on fetal brain and neurobehavioral development are discussed as potential intermediary factors.