A Review of the Impact of Gestational Diabetes on Fetal Brain Development: An Update on Neurosonographic Markers During the Last Decade.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a prevalent medical complication in pregnancy that is rapidly escalating worldwide, with epidemic implications. This systematic review aims to identify fetal brain changes using neurosonography and pinpoint potential markers for the early diagnosis of GDM. We conducted a literature search from 6 January 2013 to 4 September 2024 to identify studies examining fetal brain development using ultrasound in pregnancies affected by GDM compared to uncomplicated pregnancies. The outcome measures included the cavum septum pellucidum (CSP), corpus callosum (CC), lateral ventricle (LV), cisterna magna (CM), transcerebellar diameter (TCD), cerebral fissures (CF), and others. For pregnancies affected by GDM, results were reported. Five studies were included. The findings suggest that the width of the CSP was larger in fetuses of mothers with GDM compared to the control group, and the mean widths of LVs were also larger in the fetuses of diabetic mothers compared to the control group. The influence of GDM on fetal brain development as assessed by neurosonography necessitates thorough investigation in future studies.