The Link Between Gestational Diabetes and Fetal Neurodevelopment

Babies of Mothers with Gestational Diabetes Have an Increased Risk of Impaired Neurodevelopment

Some women develop gestational diabetes during their pregnancy, which is usually a temporary condition; however, studies reveal that there is an association between maternal diabetes and their children’s neurodevelopmental outcomes.

What is Gestational Diabetes?

This condition usually appears between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy. It occurs when hormones from the placenta block the mother’s ability to use or make insulin, causing an unhealthy rise in the mother’s blood sugar levels. In the U.S., gestational diabetes affects 8-10% of pregnant women and worldwide, that figure is 14-17%. It is detected with a specific blood test that measures glucose levels in the blood.

Maternal and Gestational Diabetes Linked to Neurodevelopmental Birth Injuries

Over the past ten years, studies have examined the relationship between maternal and gestational diabetes and certain conditions in their children.

• An analysis of 202 studies, published in the Lancet, suggested that maternal diabetes may alter fetal brain development, with an increased risk of autism, ADHD, learning and motor disorders, as well as intellectual disabilities and communication disorders in children.
  • Researchers concluded that when mothers have diabetes while pregnant, children are 28% more likely to be diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental disorder.
    • Among the increased risks associated with maternal diabetes that were detailed in the analysis are 25% higher for autism, 30% higher for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and 32% higher for intellectual disability.
  • Additionally, maternal pre-gestational diabetes (the mother already had diabetes before pregnancy) conferred a higher risk (39%) of most neurodevelopmental disorders in children than gestational diabetes.
• Another study detailed the metabolic and microorganism changes in a woman with gestational diabetes and linked “microbial changes to adverse pregnancy outcomes such as those seen in GDM (gestational diabetes mellitus).

Maternal obesity and hypertension (high blood pressure), as well as advanced maternal age are also factors in these outcomes.

Gestational Diabetes, Birth Injuries, and Medical Malpractice

These findings, while unsettling, provide valuable information that points to the importance of diabetes screening before and during pregnancy. The medical community, particularly the Obstetrical community, must become more aggressive in diagnosis, management, and treatment of maternal diabetes—before and during pregnancy—to have better outcomes for mothers and their babies.

Another common result of gestational diabetes is macrosomia; this is when the fetus grows excessively large, leading to potential complications during delivery, which can harm both the mother and the baby.

Lack of testing for or misreading a test for diabetes, or failure to diagnose or properly treat gestational diabetes are cases of medical negligence. If your child suffers a neurodevelopmental birth injury or from Erb’s Palsy, as a result of macrosomia, you may have grounds for a medical malpractice lawsuit. Contact our birth injury attorneys for a consultation.