Pilot study of EEG in neonates born to mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus

Int J Dev Neurosci. 2018 May:66:37-44. doi: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2018.01.003.

Abstract

Background: The goal was to evaluate whether there was neurodevelopmental deficits in newborns born to mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) compared to control newborns born to healthy mothers.

Methods: Forty-six pregnant women (21 controls and 25 GDM) were recruited. Electroencephalogram (EEG) was recorded in the newborns within 48 h after birth. The EEG signal was quantitatively analyzed using power spectral density (PSD); coherence between hemispheres was calculated in paired channels of frontal, temporal, central and occipital regions.

Results: The left centro-occipital PSD in control newborns was 12% higher than in GDM newborns (p = 0.036) but was not significant after adjustment for gestational age. While coherence was higher in the frontal regions compared to the occipital regions (p < 0.001), there was no difference between the groups for the fronto-temporal, frontal-central, centro-occipital and tempo-occipital regions.

Conclusion: Our results support that EEG differences between groups were mainly modified by gestational age and less by GDM status of the mothers. However, there is a need to confirm this result with a higher number of mother-newborns. Quantitative EEG in GDM newborns within 48 h after birth is feasible. This study emphasizes the importance of controlling blood glucose during GDM to protect infant brain development.

Keywords: Electroencephalogram; Gestational diabetes mellitus; Glucose control; Newborn; Power spectral density.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Brain Waves / physiology*
  • Diabetes, Gestational / physiopathology*
  • Electroencephalography*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Pilot Projects
  • Pregnancy
  • Spectrum Analysis
  • Statistics, Nonparametric
  • Young Adult