title: Insulin is a growth-promoter of the developing brain: possible implications for the infant of the diabetic mother.
abstract: The combination of diabetes mellitus and pregnancy was once associated with significantly increased morbidity and mortality for mother and baby. Advances in the obstetric management of the mother with diabetes and parallel advances in the management of the infant of the diabetic mother (IDM) have lowered the morbidity and mortality in many centers to near those for pregnancies in the non-diabetic woman. A significant increase still exists in the prevalence of congenital malformations in IDMs. Recent animal studies have shown that these malformations are related to maternal hyperglycemia early in the pregnancy, and that if it is controlled with insulin during the critical period of embryologic development, then the malformations may be prevented.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000196:embryology*; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000378:metabolism; D003847:Deoxyglucose / Q000378:metabolism; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007328:Insulin / Q000502:physiology*; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D011247:Pregnancy; D011254:Pregnancy in Diabetics; D051381:Rats; D011972:Receptor, Insulin / Q000378:metabolism; D013936:Thymidine / Q000378:metabolism; D014529:Uridine / Q000378:metabolism; D014633:Valine / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin; D003847:Deoxyglucose; D011972:Receptor, Insulin; D014633:Valine; D013936:Thymidine; D014529:Uridine