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Motor Developmental Outcomes in Children Exposed to Maternal Diabetes during Pregnancy: A Systematic Review and

Diana Arabiat1,2, Mohammad Al Jabery3, Vivien Kemp1

  • 1School of Nursing and Midwifery, Edith Cowan University, Perth 6027, Australia.

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
|February 13, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Maternal diabetes during pregnancy is linked to poorer motor development in children. This includes both gross and fine motor skills, with risks heightened by pre-existing diabetes or other gestational conditions.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Inconsistent findings exist regarding maternal diabetes' impact on child motor development.
  • Maternal diabetes can influence fetal development, potentially affecting neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review and meta-analyze observational studies on maternal diabetes and child motor development.
  • To determine the pooled effect of prenatal exposure to maternal diabetes on gross and fine motor skills.

Main Methods:

  • A comprehensive literature search was conducted across multiple databases (MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, Emcare, PsycINFO, Google Scholar).
  • Included studies were observational (case-control, cohort).
  • Meta-analysis used random-effect models to pool motor development outcomes.

Main Results:

  • Eighteen studies were initially identified; 13 were included in the meta-analysis.
  • Maternal diabetes exposure was associated with significantly lower pooled motor development in children.
  • Both gross motor and fine motor development showed a decrease.

Conclusions:

  • Prenatal exposure to maternal diabetes negatively impacts children's overall motor development.
  • Children of diabetic mothers face increased developmental risks, particularly if the diabetes is pre-existing or accompanied by comorbidities like hypertension, obesity, or low socioeconomic status.

Keywords:
child developmentdevelopmental delayfine motor skillsgross motor skillsintra-uterine lifepsychomotor development

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