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Pregnant women with obesity and diabetes may be more likely to have a child with ADHD

by The Endocrine Society

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Children of women with gestational diabetes and obesity may be twice as likely to develop attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) compared to those whose mothers did not have obesity, according to new research.

FAB RESEARCH COMMENT:

Findings from this new research are consistent with those from many previous studies, in showing that obesity and diabetes during pregnancy are associated with significantly higher risks of ADHD or other behaviour and/or learning difficulties in the resulting children.

Importantly, however, this study found that this increased risk of ADHD in children of mothers-to-be with gestational diabetes and obesity was not signifcant - provided that their pregnancy weight gain was not excessive. 

If confirmed, this is an important finding - as obesity (with or without diabetes) is now extremely common in women of childbearing age. It indicates that if all such women were provided with appropriate information and support to help them avoid excessive weight gain during pregnancy, the rates of behavioural problems in their children could potentially be reduced by half - with obvious benefits for all concerned.
 

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08/09/2022 - Medical Xpress 

Children of women with gestational diabetes and obesity may be twice as likely to develop attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) compared to those whose mothers did not have obesity, according to new research published in the 
Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

The estimated number of children aged 3–17 years ever diagnosed with ADHD is 6 million, according to data from 2016-2019. A major risk factor for ADHD in children is maternal obesity. Roughly 30% of women have obesity at their first doctor's visit during pregnancy, and this number increases to 47% in women with gestational diabetes. Excessive weight gain during pregnancy in this population is a risk factor for children developing ADHD.

"Our study found pregnant women with obesity and gestational diabetes had children with long-term mental health disorders such as ADHD," said Verónica Perea, M.D., Ph.D., of the Hospital Universitari MutuaTerrassa in Barcelona, Spain.

"We did not find this association when these women gained a healthy amount of weight during pregnancy."

The researchers studied 1,036 children born to women with gestational diabetes. Thirteen percent of these children were diagnosed with ADHD. The researchers found children of women with gestational diabetes and obesity were twice as likely to have ADHD compared to those born to mothers without obesity.

The researchers only found this association in women with gestational diabetes, obesity and excessive weight gain during pregnancy. The researchers did not observe a higher risk of ADHD in children of women with gestational diabetes and obesity if the amount of weight these women gained during pregnancy was within the normal range.

"It's important for clinicians to counsel their patients on the importance of healthy weight gain during pregnancy," Perea said.