Study Links Maternal Sleep to Baby's Neurodevelopment

A new study suggests that pregnant women who sleep less than seven hours per night are at higher risk of having children with neurodevelopmental delays. The study, focusing on the impact of maternal sleep, found that boys are particularly affected. Researchers observed links between short sleep duration, impaired glucose tolerance, and neurodevelopmental issues in babies.

A new study suggests that pregnant women who do not get enough sleep may be at a higher risk of having children with neurodevelopmental delays. Published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, the study highlights that mothers who slept less than seven hours a night showed a more pronounced impact on neurodevelopment in boys.

The research linked neurodevelopmental delays in babies to umbilical cord blood levels of serum C-peptide, a byproduct of insulin production. The study noted that short sleep duration during pregnancy has been associated with higher risks of impaired glucose tolerance, insulin resistance, and gestational diabetes, which can impact babies' neurodevelopment.

While the study does not definitively prove that lack of sleep causes these delays, it adds to the growing body of evidence suggesting that a mother's glucose metabolism during pregnancy can affect fetal insulin secretion and neurodevelopment.

(With inputs from agencies.)