Diabetes in pregnancy linked to higher risk of autism in children: Lancet

Having diabetes during pregnancy could be associated to an increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in the child such as autism, according to a study published in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology journal.

Children exposed to maternal diabetes were at a 25 per cent increased risk of developing autism spectrum disorder, 30 per cent increased risk of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and 32 per cent increased risk of intellectual disability, compared to those not exposed, according to the findings of the study.

Maternal diabetes was also found to increase risk of communication, learning and motor disorders among exposed children.

However, the researchers, including those from the Central South University, China, called for a cautious interpretation of the study's results as they said there is currently little evidence of a causal link.

Cases of maternal diabetes -- Type 1 or Type 2, or developing gestational diabetes while pregnant -- are on the rise around the world.

Factors such as obesity, sedentary lifestyle and having an advanced age at motherhood (35 and above) are considered to increase risk of maternal diabetes.

Previous studies have suggested that maternal diabetes is linked to an altered development of the foetus' brain, and may also be linked to long-term neurodevelopmental disorders in children such as autism and ADHD.

However, evidence in this regard has been unclear, the researchers said.

For the study, they analysed data of over 56 million mother-child pairs from more than 200 previously published studies, which looked at the effects of maternal diabetes on children's neurodevelopment.

Overall, children of mothers with diabetes in pregnancy had a 28 per cent increased risk of having a neurodevelopmental disorder, compared to children of mothers without diabetes, the team found.

They said the findings provide important insights into the potential risks faced by children of mothers with diabetes.

The authors emphasised the importance of medical support for women at risk of developing diabetes and a continuous monitoring of their children.

The team also called for further research to look deeper into the link between maternal pregnancy and neurodevelopmental disorders in children, which could help establish the reason for this association.

Even though neurodevelopmental disorders become evident early during a child's development, they are increasingly being recognised as neurological conditions that are present lifelong and significantly impact one's functioning and quality of life as an adult.

A recent study among adults in the UK found that having ADHD could shorten one's life expectancy -- men could be expected to live seven years fewer than the general population, and women nine years.

The study was published in The British Journal of Psychiatry.

Having ADHD has also been linked to an increased risk of dementia because of a reduced ability of the individual to compensate for age-related cognitive decline.