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Pre-eclampsia- an additional risk factor for cognitive impairment at school age after intrauterine growth restriction

E Morsing1, K Maršál2

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Clinical Sciences Lund, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.

Early Human Development
|January 7, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Maternal pre-eclampsia negatively impacts cognitive development in very preterm infants born with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). This fetal exposure exacerbates cognitive deficits beyond those caused by IUGR alone.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal Medicine
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Obstetrics

Background:

  • Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and preterm birth are associated with adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes.
  • Maternal pre-eclampsia is a significant complication of pregnancy with potential long-term effects on offspring.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the specific impact of maternal pre-eclampsia on the cognitive function of very preterm children born after IUGR.
  • To compare cognitive outcomes between very preterm children exposed and unexposed to maternal pre-eclampsia.

Main Methods:

  • Cognitive function assessed using Wechsler scales in children aged 5-8 years.
  • Study included very preterm children born after IUGR (PT-IUGR) with and without maternal pre-eclampsia exposure, and a control group of very preterm children with appropriate-for-gestational age (PT-AGA) birth weight.
  • Groups were matched for gestational age, gender, and age at examination.

Main Results:

  • Children born very preterm after IUGR and exposed to maternal pre-eclampsia exhibited significantly lower verbal IQ (VIQ) and full-scale IQ (FSIQ) compared to non-exposed PT-IUGR children.
  • Cognitive scores in the pre-eclampsia exposed PT-IUGR group were also significantly lower than in the PT-AGA control group.
  • No significant cognitive differences were found between non-exposed PT-IUGR children and PT-AGA children.

Conclusions:

  • Fetal exposure to maternal pre-eclampsia appears to impose an additional detrimental effect on cognitive function in very preterm infants.
  • The combined effects of IUGR and maternal pre-eclampsia may lead to more severe cognitive impairments in this vulnerable population.
Abstract

Keywords:
Cognitive outcomeIntrauterine growth restrictionPre-eclampsiaUmbilical blood flowVery preterm birth

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