Neurobehavioral sequelae of infants of diabetic mothers: Deficits in explicit memory at 1 year of age.
Neurobehavioral sequelae of infants of diabetic mothers: Deficits in explicit memory at 1 year of age.
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Date
2005
Authors
DeBoer, T
Wewerka, S
Bauer, P J
Georgieff, M K
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Citation
DeBoer, T., Wewerka, S., Bauer, P. J., Georgieff, M. K., & Nelson, C. A. (2005). Neurobehavioral sequelae of infants of diabetic mothers: Deficits in explicit memory at 1 year of age. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 47, 525-531.
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Abstract
The aim of the present research was to investigate the impact of abnormal fetal environment on explicit memory
performance. Based on animal models, it was hypothesized that infants of diabetic mothers (IDMs) experience
perturbations in memory performance due to exposure to multiple neurologic risk factors including: chronic hypoxia,
hyperglycemia/reactive hypoglycemia, and iron deficiency. Memory performance, as measured by the elicited/deferred
imitation paradigm, was compared between 13 IDMs (seven females, six males; mean age 365 days, SD 11) and 16
typically developing children (seven females, nine males; mean age 379 days, SD 9). The IDM group was characterized
by shorter gestational age (mean 38w, SD 2), greater standardized birthweight scores (mean 3797g, SD 947), and
lower iron stores (mean ferritin concentration 87g/L, SD 68) in comparison with the control group (mean gestational
age: 40w, SD 1; mean birthweight: 3639g, SD 348; mean newborn ferritin concentration 140g/L, SD 46). After
statistically controlling for both gestational age and global cognitive abilities, IDMs demonstrated a deficit in the ability
to recall multi-step event sequences after a delay was imposed. These findings highlight the importance of the
prenatal environment on subsequent mnemonic behavior and suggest a connection between metabolic abnormalities during
the prenatal period, development of memory, circuitry, and behavioral mnemonic performance.