Can Diabetes in Pregnancy Affect a Baby’s Brain? What New Research Says

Diabetes during pregnancy — called gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) — is becoming increasingly common, and it’s more than just a blood sugar problem. It can also affect how a baby’s brain develops. A new 2024 study led by Seun A. Sangoyomi, Sodiq K. Lawal, Adeoluwa Akeem Adeniji, Abraham A. Osinubi, and colleagues has taken a closer look at how diabetes treatments might protect or harm a baby’s developing brain.

The Challenge: Balancing Diabetes and Pregnancy

When a pregnant woman develops diabetes, her blood sugar levels rise, which can expose the growing baby to excess glucose. This often leads to oxidative stress — an imbalance that damages brain cells and other tissues. The study, published in the Mediterranean Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, explored how three common diabetes treatments — insulin, metformin, and glibenclamide — affect the prefrontal cortex (the part of the brain responsible for decision-making and learning) in baby rats born to diabetic mothers.

Inside the Experiment

Researchers used pregnant rats with diabetes induced by a chemical called streptozotocin (STZ). The rats were divided into groups and treated with either:
• Insulin – the standard diabetes treatment
• Metformin – an oral drug often used for type 2 diabetes
• Glibenclamide – another oral blood sugar–lowering medication

The scientists then studied the pups’ brains to see how well each treatment protected brain cells and antioxidant levels.

 What They Found

 Metformin and glibenclamide did surprisingly well. Both drugs reduced blood sugar levels significantly.

 The baby rats whose mothers received metformin or glibenclamide had healthier brain cells and higher levels of protective antioxidants like glutathione.

 In contrast, pups from untreated diabetic mothers showed damaged brain cells, and those whose mothers used insulin had less improvement than the metformin and glibenclamide groups.

Microscopic analysis of the pups’ prefrontal cortex revealed that metformin and glibenclamide helped preserve the structure of brain cells and reduced signs of degeneration.

 Why It Matters

This study suggests that oral diabetes drugs like metformin and glibenclamide might offer brain-protective benefits for babies exposed to gestational diabetes — at least in animal models. They not only help manage blood sugar but may also reduce the oxidative stress that harms developing brain cells.

While insulin has long been the “safe choice” for pregnant women with diabetes, these findings open the door for more research into safer, more comfortable, and cost-effective alternatives.

 A Note of Caution

Before you ditch the insulin, remember: this was an animal study. Human pregnancies are much more complex, and drug safety during pregnancy must always be guided by a doctor. Still, this research points toward promising new directions in understanding how diabetes medications affect the next generation — quite literally.

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Reference:
Sangoyomi S.A., Lawal S.K., Adeniji A.A., Osinubi A.A., Olojede S.O., Aladeyelu O.S., Matshipi M.N., & Dithole S.K. (2024). Evaluating the effects of insulin, metformin and glibenclamide on the pups’ prefrontal cortex and oxidative stress markers of streptozotocin-induced diabetic pregnant rats. Mediterranean Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 4(1), 42–51.