Abstract
Studies on the association of maternal diabetes with motor development in children provide inconsistent findings. We searched MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, Emcare, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar databases for primary observational, case–control, or cohort studies that report on the motor development of children exposed to maternal diabetes during pregnancy. Quality appraisal and data extraction were performed independently and in duplicate. A meta-analysis of summary measures was performed using random-effect models. Eighteen studies were identified for inclusion, however, only 13 were included in the meta-analysis. Exposure to maternal diabetes during pregnancy was associated with a lower pooled motor development in children and a decrease in both gross and fine motor development. Among all other factors, pre-existing diabetes and other gestational comorbidities, such as hypertension and obesity, or low socioeconomic status, also affect child development. Therefore, among children of diabetic mothers, those with other gestational comorbidities or pre-existing diabetes were more likely to be at risk developmentally.
Highlights
Children with typical development follow a pattern of developing gross and fine motor skills that allows them to know when they are developing well
This meta-analysis found that children born to mothers with diabetes experience delayed motor development when compared to children born to mothers without diabetes, for children born to mothers with pre-existing diabetes
Maternal diabetes during pregnancy was associated with reduced motor development in children
Summary
Children with typical development follow a pattern of developing gross and fine motor skills that allows them to know when they are developing well. Delayed gross and fine motor development is usually noticed when the child fails to meet the normative development milestones by the normative age [2]. It is a widely held view that motor development in children can be influenced by both genetics and environmental factors [5]. There are known predictors of motor development delay, such as low birth weight and premature birth [6], pregnancy complications [7], low maternal intelligence [8], and low education level [9]. There is evidence that maternal diabetes can have deleterious effects on the developing foetus, as well conditions such as
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