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Cognitive function in adult offspring of women with Type 1 diabetes
T D Clausen1, E L Mortensen, L Schmidt
1Department of Obstetrics, Center for Pregnant Women with Diabetes, Rigshospitalet, The Capital Region of Denmark, Faculty of Health Sciences, Copenhagen, Denmark. tine.dalsgaard.clausen@dadlnet.dk
Aims:
Maternal diabetes may affect offspring cognitive function. The objective of the study was to evaluate cognitive function and potential predictors hereof in adult offspring of women with Type 1 diabetes.
Methods:
We conducted a follow-up study of adult offspring of women with Type 1 diabetes (n = 158) and a reference group from the background population (n = 118). The main outcome measure was offspring cognitive function measured by global cognitive score, derived from Raven's Progressive Matrices and three verbal subtests from the Weschler Adult Intelligence Scale.
Results:
Offspring of women with Type 1 diabetes obtained lower global cognitive scores (94.8 vs. 100.0, P = 0.004) than offspring from the background population. When adjusted for confounders, the groups no longer differed significantly (difference 0.4, 95% CI -3.3 to 4.). Positive predictors of cognitive function in offspring of women with diabetes were family social class, parental educational level, maternal diabetes duration, male gender and offspring age, whereas parity ≥ 1 and gestational age < 34 weeks were negative predictors. We found no association with maternal glycaemia during pregnancy or with neonatal hypoglycaemia.
Conclusions:
Impaired cognitive function in adult offspring of women with Type 1 diabetes compared with the background population apparently reflects differences with respect to well-known confounders. However, harmful effects of maternal hyperglycaemia may be mediated through delivery at < 34 weeks.
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