Inadequate sleep during pregnancy tied to neurodevelopmental delays for boys
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Key takeaways:
- Boys are more likely to have neurodevelopmental delays if their mother slept less than 7 hours per night during pregnancy.
- Higher cord blood C-peptide was tied to an increased neurodevelopmental delay risk.
Women who sleep less than 7 hours per night during pregnancy may be more likely to have a boy with neurodevelopmental delays, according to data published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
“The clinical implications of our study underscore the importance for health care providers to assess sleep duration in pregnant women and offer guidance on achieving sufficient sleep,” Peng Zhu, MD, in the department of maternal, child and adolescent health at Anhui Medical University School of Public Health in Hefei, China, told Healio. “Educating pregnant women about the importance of sleep for their health and that of their unborn child is crucial. Providers can recommend interventions such as improving sleep hygiene, cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia or referral to sleep specialists.”
Researchers assessed data from 7,059 mother-child pairs participating in the Maternal & Infants Health in Hefei cohort study in China. Sleep duration was reported by mothers in interviews at 24 to 28 weeks’ gestation and at 32 to 36 weeks’ gestation. Short sleep duration was defined as less than 7 hours per night. Serum blood cord samples were collected at delivery. Childhood neurodevelopment was assessed using the Denver Developmental Screening Test-II at 6, 12, 24 and 36 months. Children were considered to be neurodevelopmentally delayed if they did not pass at least one test item in each category of the assessment.
Short sleep tied to development delays
Of the study group, 7% of children were neurodevelopmentally delayed. Of those with neurodevelopment delays, 56.7% were boys.
Women sleeping less than 7 hours per night at 24 to 28 weeks’ gestation were more likely to have a neurodevelopmentally delayed child than those sleeping 7 hours or more per night (HR = 1.6; 95% CI, 1.1-2.3), according to the researchers. In a sex-stratified analysis, this association was significant in women who gave birth to boys (HR = 2.05; 95% CI, 1.29-3.25), but not in those who gave birth to girls.
Persistent short sleep duration of less than 7 hours per night at each follow-up was also tied to a greater risk for neurodevelopmental delays in offspring vs. persistent sleep duration of 7 or more hours per night (HR = 1.89; 95% CI, 1.24-2.86), the researchers wrote. In a sex-stratified analysis, the association was again present in women who gave birth to boys (HR = 2.16; 95% CI, 1.27-3.68) but not in women who gave birth to girls.
“Male fetuses might be more sensitive to the metabolic environment influenced by maternal sleep patterns,” Zhu said. “This insight could lead to more tailored interventions and a deeper understanding of how prenatal factors affect neurodevelopmental outcomes in a sex-specific manner.”
C-peptide as a mediator
Higher levels of cord blood C-peptide were observed among newborns who were neurodevelopmentally delayed vs. those without development delays (P < .012). Additionally, women who slept less than 7 hours per night at 24 to 28 weeks’ gestation had higher levels of C-peptide in the cord blood than women who slept 7 or more hours per night.
When women were divided into quartiles based on serum C-peptide levels in cord blood, those who gave birth to boys in the highest quartile (HR = 2.08; 95% CI, 1.32-3.27), second-highest quartile (HR = 2.05; 95% CI, 1.31-3.21) and second-lowest quartile (HR = 1.83; 95% CI, 1.16-2.89) were more likely to have a child with neurodevelopmental delays than women in the lowest quartile. No associations were observed for mothers of girls.
C-peptide in cord blood was deemed as a partial mediator of the association between short sleep duration at 24 to 28 weeks’ gestation and neurodevelopmental delays in boys.
Zhu said more research is needed to examine the biological mechanisms behind the associations between short sleep duration and neurodevelopmental delays in offspring.
“Additional studies should explore the potential impact of interventions to improve sleep during pregnancy,” Zhu said. “Longitudinal studies that follow children beyond their early years could provide valuable insights into the long-term effects of maternal sleep on cognitive and behavioral outcomes.”
For more information:
Peng Zhu, MD, can be reached at zppost@163.com.
Reference:
- Pregnant women who sleep less than 7 hours a night may have children with developmental delays. https://www.endocrine.org/news-and-advocacy/news-room/2024/pregnant-women-who-sleep-less-than-7-hours-a-night-may-have-children-with-developmental-delays. Published Sept. 26, 2024. Accessed Sept. 26, 2024.
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