Fetal behavior in diabetic and nondiabetic pregnant women: An exploratory study

✍ Scribed by C. L. Allen; B. S. Kisilevsky

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1999
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 146 KB
• Volume: 35
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0012-1630
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1098-2302(199907)35:1<69::aid-dev9>3.0.co;2-w

✦ Synopsis

To characterize differential behavior and the relationship between maternal blood glucose levels and behavior in fetuses of diabetic (n ϭ 10) and nondiabetic (n ϭ 20) women at 33 and 36 weeks gestational age (GA), spontaneous changes in fetal heart rate (FHR), body and breathing movements, and vibroacoustic stimulus elicited (3 stimulus/3 nostimulus control trials) FHR changes and body movements were compared. Measures of maternal blood glucose levels were obtained immediately following testing; measures varied within normal range. Spontaneous behaviors showed no differences between groups and no relationship to maternal blood glucose levels. Sensory stimulation elicited similar average peak FHR accelerations (M ϭ 17.1/20.0 BPM) and average movement scores (2.0/2.6) across groups. In the diabetic group at 33 weeks GA, the nature of the FHR change over time, showed more varied patterns of response, a shorter latency to peak acceleration, was less organized, and less mature; as average maternal blood glucose levels increased, elicited body movements decreased. These findings suggest immaturity and differential functional development of sensory-motor response systems in fetuses of diabetic mothers.