TY - JOUR
T1 - The effect of adverse intrauterine and newborn environments on cognitive development
T2 - The experiences of premature delivery and diabetes during pregnancy
AU - Sesma, Heather Whitney
AU - Georgieff, Michael K
PY - 2003/9
Y1 - 2003/9
N2 - The prenatal and early postnatal periods constitute a time of rapid development when the brain is in a state of both heightened plasticity and vulnerability. Premature infants and infants of diabetic mothers represent two experiments of nature that allow researchers to observe how the developing brain responds to early biological challenge of either a global or regionally specific nature. We outline a set of organizing principles for conceptualizing the mechanisms by which early adverse experience may be encoded in the brain and subsequently expressed in behavior. We then review the available literature on developmental outcomes for infants born premature and infants of diabetic mothers. Research examining the relative influence of experience and maturation in the development of preterm infants indicates that advance experience does not accelerate the advent of specific cognitive capacities, but may enhance performance once the particular ability has emerged. Long-term follow-up of preterm infants also reveals evidence for plasticity and cognitive improvement into early adolescence for later maturing executive functions. Finally we offer an integrated model for investigating cognitive outcomes in infants of diabetic mothers that incorporates data from animal, electrophysiological, and behavioral measures.
AB - The prenatal and early postnatal periods constitute a time of rapid development when the brain is in a state of both heightened plasticity and vulnerability. Premature infants and infants of diabetic mothers represent two experiments of nature that allow researchers to observe how the developing brain responds to early biological challenge of either a global or regionally specific nature. We outline a set of organizing principles for conceptualizing the mechanisms by which early adverse experience may be encoded in the brain and subsequently expressed in behavior. We then review the available literature on developmental outcomes for infants born premature and infants of diabetic mothers. Research examining the relative influence of experience and maturation in the development of preterm infants indicates that advance experience does not accelerate the advent of specific cognitive capacities, but may enhance performance once the particular ability has emerged. Long-term follow-up of preterm infants also reveals evidence for plasticity and cognitive improvement into early adolescence for later maturing executive functions. Finally we offer an integrated model for investigating cognitive outcomes in infants of diabetic mothers that incorporates data from animal, electrophysiological, and behavioral measures.
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U2 - 10.1017/S0954579403000488
DO - 10.1017/S0954579403000488
M3 - Review article
C2 - 14984135
AN - SCOPUS:2442690698
SN - 0954-5794
VL - 15
SP - 991
EP - 1015
JO - Development and psychopathology
JF - Development and psychopathology
IS - 4
ER -