Maternal diabetes and neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring

Diabetes during pregnancy is associated with adverse effects on offspring perinatal outcomes. These could be reduced significantly with an adequate glycemic control in early stages of gestation. In the last decade, new studies have shown the effects of maternal diabetes in the long-term health of the offspring, like impaired neurodevelopment and its impact on educational and occupational outcome. This can be classified. from the clinical and diagnostic perspective, in three main groups: learning and cognitive disorders. attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorders. This paper has the objective to give a non-systematic upgrade of the current evidence on the subject, and to understand the underlying mechanisms of adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes which in turn may lead to strategies for its prevention.