About 15% of US children 3 to 17 years old reside with neurodevelopmental disorders like ADHD, autism and mental disabilities.
A latest study out of China suggests that children born to moms who experience a typical ailment while pregnant are 28% more prone to be diagnosed with these conditions.
A hidden risk
For the evaluation, researchers pooled data from 202 studies across 56 million pregnancies worldwide. They checked out outcomes for kids whose moms had Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes while pregnant, in addition to mothers diagnosed with gestational diabetes.
The team found that maternal diabetes increased the chance of every type of neurodevelopmental disorders, with autism rising by 25%, ADHD by 30% and mental disability by 32%.
Moreover, children born to moms with diabetes were 20% more prone to struggle with communication, 17% more prone to experience movement issues and 16% more prone to develop learning disorders in comparison with their peers.
Interestingly, the highest-risk children were those born to moms with pre-existing diabetes.
These children had a 39% higher likelihood of developing a number of of those disorders in comparison with those whose moms had gestational diabetes, which develops while pregnant and frequently resolves after birth.
The chance was also higher for kids whose moms had gestational diabetes for an extended period or who required medication to administer it. The findings were published this month within the Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology journal.
Looking ahead
The evaluation doesn’t prove that maternal diabetes directly causes neurodevelopmental issues in children, but experts say the outcomes are vital and warrant further exploration.
“Neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism and ADHD, have previously been observed at higher rates in children with Type 1 diabetes, who themselves have elevated blood sugar,” Dr. Jonathan Faro, a maternal and fetal medicine specialist, told Medical News Today.
He said the study linking maternal diabetes to neurodevelopmental disorders raises key questions on whether high blood sugar while pregnant affects fetal brain development, potentially acting as an agent that causes birth defects or developmental issues.
The study’s authors called for more research to verify the link between high blood sugar and neurodevelopmental issues and understand the underlying causes.
In addition they really useful exploring potential protective aspects and interventions to safeguard developing brains from the possible negative effects of maternal diabetes.
Sugar shock
The findings come as diabetes rates rise within the US, driven partly by an aging population and expanding waistlines.
Just have a look at the numbers: the prevalence of diagnosed diabetes amongst American adults increased from 9.7% in 1999-2000 to 14.3% in 2021-2022, based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In total, a staggering 38 million people across all ages had diabetes in 2022, including 8.7 million adults who were unaware they’d it.
On top of that, greater than 1 in 3 American adults are prediabetic, meaning their blood sugar levels are elevated but not yet at diabetic levels.
Gestational diabetes is on the rise, with diagnoses amongst young US women increasing by 30% over the past decade, based on a study by Northwestern Medicine.
Any pregnant woman can develop gestational diabetes, however the Cleveland Clinic notes that the chance is higher for girls who’re chubby or obese, physically inactive or over the age of 35.
A family history of diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome and certain ethnic backgrounds can even increase the chance.
Experts told the Latest York Times that the study highlights the necessity for comprehensive screening of girls of their 20s and 30s in order that they can receive treatment before they conceive.
While the findings could also be concerning, “the fact of diabetes care in pregnancy is now we have treatments that work,” Dr. Kartik Venkatesh, director of the Diabetes in Pregnancy Program at Ohio State University, reassured The Times. He was not involved within the study.
About 15% of US children 3 to 17 years old reside with neurodevelopmental disorders like ADHD, autism and mental disabilities.
A latest study out of China suggests that children born to moms who experience a typical ailment while pregnant are 28% more prone to be diagnosed with these conditions.
A hidden risk
For the evaluation, researchers pooled data from 202 studies across 56 million pregnancies worldwide. They checked out outcomes for kids whose moms had Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes while pregnant, in addition to mothers diagnosed with gestational diabetes.
The team found that maternal diabetes increased the chance of every type of neurodevelopmental disorders, with autism rising by 25%, ADHD by 30% and mental disability by 32%.
Moreover, children born to moms with diabetes were 20% more prone to struggle with communication, 17% more prone to experience movement issues and 16% more prone to develop learning disorders in comparison with their peers.
Interestingly, the highest-risk children were those born to moms with pre-existing diabetes.
These children had a 39% higher likelihood of developing a number of of those disorders in comparison with those whose moms had gestational diabetes, which develops while pregnant and frequently resolves after birth.
The chance was also higher for kids whose moms had gestational diabetes for an extended period or who required medication to administer it. The findings were published this month within the Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology journal.
Looking ahead
The evaluation doesn’t prove that maternal diabetes directly causes neurodevelopmental issues in children, but experts say the outcomes are vital and warrant further exploration.
“Neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism and ADHD, have previously been observed at higher rates in children with Type 1 diabetes, who themselves have elevated blood sugar,” Dr. Jonathan Faro, a maternal and fetal medicine specialist, told Medical News Today.
He said the study linking maternal diabetes to neurodevelopmental disorders raises key questions on whether high blood sugar while pregnant affects fetal brain development, potentially acting as an agent that causes birth defects or developmental issues.
The study’s authors called for more research to verify the link between high blood sugar and neurodevelopmental issues and understand the underlying causes.
In addition they really useful exploring potential protective aspects and interventions to safeguard developing brains from the possible negative effects of maternal diabetes.
Sugar shock
The findings come as diabetes rates rise within the US, driven partly by an aging population and expanding waistlines.
Just have a look at the numbers: the prevalence of diagnosed diabetes amongst American adults increased from 9.7% in 1999-2000 to 14.3% in 2021-2022, based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In total, a staggering 38 million people across all ages had diabetes in 2022, including 8.7 million adults who were unaware they’d it.
On top of that, greater than 1 in 3 American adults are prediabetic, meaning their blood sugar levels are elevated but not yet at diabetic levels.
Gestational diabetes is on the rise, with diagnoses amongst young US women increasing by 30% over the past decade, based on a study by Northwestern Medicine.
Any pregnant woman can develop gestational diabetes, however the Cleveland Clinic notes that the chance is higher for girls who’re chubby or obese, physically inactive or over the age of 35.
A family history of diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome and certain ethnic backgrounds can even increase the chance.
Experts told the Latest York Times that the study highlights the necessity for comprehensive screening of girls of their 20s and 30s in order that they can receive treatment before they conceive.
While the findings could also be concerning, “the fact of diabetes care in pregnancy is now we have treatments that work,” Dr. Kartik Venkatesh, director of the Diabetes in Pregnancy Program at Ohio State University, reassured The Times. He was not involved within the study.
