New Delhi– A large-scale study analyzing 56.1 million pregnancies, published Tuesday in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, has strengthened the evidence linking maternal diabetes to an increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in children, including autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
The study, conducted by researchers from Central South University in China, involved a systematic review and meta-analysis of 202 studies comprising over 56 million mother-child pairs.
The findings revealed that maternal diabetes is associated with heightened risks for a range of neurodevelopmental conditions, as well as lower intelligence and psychomotor function scores in children.
Compared to children unexposed to maternal diabetes, those exposed were found to be at greater risk for various neurodevelopmental disorders—including autism, ADHD, intellectual disabilities, communication and motor disorders, learning disorders, and other specific developmental issues.
“Maternal diabetes is associated with an increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders and impaired neurodevelopmental performance in children,” the researchers stated.
Maternal diabetes includes both pre-gestational diabetes (existing before pregnancy) and gestational diabetes, which refers to high blood sugar that develops during pregnancy. Both conditions have become increasingly prevalent, affecting millions of pregnancies worldwide.
Over the past four decades, the global prevalence of pre-gestational diabetes has risen to approximately 2.4%, while gestational diabetes now affects around 27.6% of pregnancies. This rise is largely driven by increasing rates of obesity and metabolic syndrome—a cluster of conditions that includes high blood pressure, excess abdominal fat, abnormal cholesterol levels, and diabetes.
In addition to known complications such as cesarean delivery, macrosomia (excessive birth weight), and neonatal jaundice, previous research has suggested that maternal diabetes may disrupt fetal brain development.
The study also found that pre-gestational diabetes posed a greater risk for most neurodevelopmental disorders than gestational diabetes.
“These findings underscore the importance of proactive interventions for women at risk of developing diabetes and highlight the need for continued monitoring of children with a history of in-utero exposure to maternal diabetes,” the researchers concluded. (Source: IANS)
