Lay summary
I'm conducting research into the effect of low blood glucose concentration in the newborn period, and of the maternal metabolism during pregnancy on the neurodevelopment of children. Diabetes in pregnancy is known to increase the risk of obesity, hypertension and diabetes in the children from the affected pregnancy. It is less clear whether or not diabetes during pregnancy (with exposure before birth to abnormal maternal metabolism) affects the children's development and learning, as other factors such as obesity and poorer socioeconomic status could influence these outcomes. The randomised control hPOD trial (dextrose vs placebo gel to prevent hypoglycaemia), from which my research is drawn, recruits babies at risk of hypoglycaemia, and will be the largest prospective cohort of children of diabetic mothers to date with over 700 babies recruited. This will provide valuable data to guide our management of pregnant women with diabetes and their children.