Effect of Maternal Diabetes on Developing of Central Nervous System

Diabetes in pregnancy is the most common and the most important metabolic condition، since it can result in several fetal malformations. Maternal hyperglycemia may have teratogenic effect for developing of fetal central nervous system (CNS). Several lines of evidence indicate that the children born to diabetic mothers، exhibit disturbances in behavioral and intellectual functioning. The hippocampus subserves important behavioral and physiological functions such as memory consolidation، and is a brain structure particularly vulnerable to changes in glucose concentration. Hippocampal neurogenesis might underlie particular aspects of neuronal plasticity and might play an important role for the memory and cognitive functions. We reviewed the current understanding of the effect of diabetes on developing of central nervous system during the pregnancy.