STUDY STRENGTHENS LINK BETWEEN MATERNAL DIABETES & AUTISM
- Rebecca Guldberg
- Apr 16
- 1 min read
A recent large-scale study published in 'The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology' examined how maternal diabetes may affect children's brain development.
Researchers analyzed data from 202 studies, encompassing over 56 million mother–child pairs, to understand the link between maternal diabetes and neurodevelopmental outcomes in children.
The findings revealed that children born to mothers with diabetes—either gestational (developed during pregnancy) or pre-gestational (existing before pregnancy)—had a higher risk of various neurodevelopmental disorders. These included autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), intellectual disabilities, and learning disorders. Notably, the risk was more pronounced in cases where the mother had pre-gestational diabetes.
This research underscores the importance of managing diabetes effectively during pregnancy.