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Association of fetal eye movement density with sleeping and developmental problems in 1.5-year-old infants
Kazushige Nakahara1, Seiichi Morokuma2, Kana Maehara1
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
Insights
Decreased fetal eye movement density (EMD) during pregnancy was linked to increased night awakenings and developmental issues in infants at 1.5 years. This finding suggests EMD may predict infant sleep and behavioral outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Perinatology
- Developmental Neuroscience
- Sleep Medicine
Background:
- Eye movement density (EMD) quantifies rapid eye movements during sleep.
- Prenatal factors can influence infant sleep and neurodevelopment.
- Investigating fetal EMD offers insights into early developmental trajectories.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the association between fetal eye movement density (EMD) and infant sleep and developmental outcomes.
- To determine if prenatal EMD predicts night awakenings, sleep duration, or behavioral problems in infancy.
Main Methods:
- Sixty pregnant women underwent 1-hour ultrasonography to calculate fetal EMD.
- Infant sleep and development were assessed at 1.5 years via questionnaires and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL).
Main Results:
- Lower fetal EMD correlated with increased infant night awakenings (OR 0.84).
- Fetal EMD did not show association with infant bedtime or sleep duration.
- Fetal EMD was independently linked to higher total problem scores on the CBCL (p=0.047).
Conclusions:
- Fetal EMD may serve as a potential biomarker for predicting infant sleep disturbances.
- Prenatal EMD is associated with behavioral and developmental challenges in early childhood.
- Further research is warranted to explore the clinical implications of fetal EMD.
Abstract:
Eye movement density (EMD) is an evaluation index of rapid eye movements observed during sleep. This study aimed to investigate the association of fetal EMD with sleeping and developmental problems in infancy. We observed 60 normal singleton pregnancies (gestational age 28-37 weeks) using ultrasonography for 1 h. Fetal eye movements were counted, and EMD was calculated. Participants answered questionnaires regarding their child's sleep and development 1.5 years after their delivery. The outcomes of an infant's sleep were night awakening (yes or no), bedtime (before or after 22:00), and nighttime sleep duration (< 9 or ≥ 9 h). An infant's development was evaluated using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) T-score. We found that decreased fetal EMD was associated with increased night awakening at the age of 1.5 years (odds ratio 0.84, 95% confidence interval 0.69-1.00 per unit decrease in EMD). However, fetal EMD was not associated with bedtime or nighttime sleep duration. In addition, fetal EMD was independently associated with the total problems T-score of the CBCL at the age of 1.5 years in the multivariate model (p = 0.047). In conclusion, fetal EMD may be associated with sleep and developmental problems in infants.
