Maternal diabetes may be linked to a higher risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in the child like autism, suggests research in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology journal.
Exposure to diabetes while being pregnant put children at a 25 per cent higher risk of having autism spectrum disorder, 30 per cent higher risk of having attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and 32 per cent higher risk of intellectual disability than those not exposed, the research found.
Gestational diabetes also raised risk of communication, learning and motor disorders in exposed children.
The analysis, which pooled data from 202 studies on more than 56 million pregnancies around the world, examined outcomes for children whose mothers had Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes while pregnant, or were diagnosed with gestational diabetes.
Those with maternal diabetes had a 28 per cent increased risk of having a neurodevelopmental disorder, compared to children of mothers without diabetes, the team found.
However, the researchers called for a cautious interpretation of the study’s results as they said there is currently little evidence of a causal link. They called for further probe into the findings and medical support for news mothers and monitoring of the children.
Earlier research has also indicated that maternal diabetes is associated with altered development of the foetus’ brain, and is also associated with long-term neurodevelopmental disorders in children like autism and ADHD.
