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. 2005 Aug;47(8):525-31.
doi: 10.1017/s0012162205001039.

Explicit memory performance in infants of diabetic mothers at 1 year of age

Tracy DeBoer  1 , Sandi Wewerka, Patricia J Bauer, Michael K Georgieff, Charles A Nelson
Affiliations

Explicit memory performance in infants of diabetic mothers at 1 year of age

Tracy DeBoer et al. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2005 Aug.

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 87C microg/L, SD 68) in comparison with the control group (mean gestational age: 40w, SD 1; mean birthweight: 3639g, SD 348; mean newborn ferritin concentration 140 microg/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.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Photographs of infant completing the event sequence “Turn on the light.” To complete the first step, the infant places a small car into the track of an L-shaped apparatus. To ultimately realize the end state of the event, the infant pushes a plunger, thereby causing the car to travel down the track, tripping a small switch that causes a light to illuminate. (Obtaining permission to reprint from Psychological Science.)
Figure 2
Figure 2
Mean (+1 SEM) number of target actions (A) and correctly ordered pairs of actions (B) produced during immediate, 10-minute delayed, and interleaved recall by control and IDM children.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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