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Long-term neurological dysfunction and neonatal hypoglycaemia after diabetic pregnancy
E Stenninger1, R Flink, B Eriksson
1Department of Paediatrics, Orebro Medical Centre Hospital, Sweden.
Aim:
To determine if children born to mothers with diabetes mellitus during pregnancy, who subsequently developed neonatal hypoglycaemia, experienced long-term neurological dysfunction.
Methods:
Thirteen children with, and 15 without, neonatal hypoglycaemia (blood glucose < 1.5 mmol/l) were randomly selected from a larger cohort and investigated at the age of 8 years. They were also compared with 28 age matched healthy controls.
Results:
Children with neonatal hypoglycaemia had significantly more difficulties in a validated screening test for minimal brain dysfunction than controls and were also more often reported to be hyperactive, impulsive, and easily distracted. On psychological assessment, they had a lower total development score than normoglycaemic children born to diabetic mothers, and control children.
Conclusions:
Neonatal hypoglycaemia in diabetic pregnancy was associated with long-term neurological dysfunction related to minimal brain dysfunction/deficits in attention, motor control, and perception.