Pregnancy-time diabetes may be risky for babies' neurodevelopment

Mothers with gestational diabetes - the type which develops during pregnancy- could be more likely to have babies with attention problems- a local study suggests. The study found that these babies paid more attention to background noise- which should be ignored- compared to babies whose mothers did not have the condition. They also did not respond as well to odd- infrequent sounds.

Dr Anne Rifkin-Graboi- Principal Investigator and Head- Neurodevelopment Research Centre (NDRC)- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (SICS)- Agency for Science- Technology and Research (A*STAR)- said that maybe some of the risks from what is going on with the brain development is actually happening earlier than the second trimester- when the mothers are getting tested for gestational diabetes. The research is part of an ongoing project called Growing Up In Singapore Towards Healthy Outcomes (Gusto)- which was started in 2009 with around 1-200 expectant women.

• Straits Times: Pregnancy-time diabetes may be risky for babies
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• Asiaone: Pregnancy-time diabetes may be risky for babies