There is some evidence that pregnant women who are obese or diabetic may have a higher risk of having a child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but it is important to note that the relationship between these factors is complex and not fully understood.
According to new research published in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, children of women with gestational diabetes and obesity are twice as likely to develop attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as those whose mothers did not have obesity.
According to data from 2016 to 2019, the estimated number of children aged 3-17 years who have been diagnosed with ADHD is 6 million. Maternal obesity is a major risk factor for ADHD in children. Obesity affects approximately 30% of pregnant women at their first doctor’s visit, and this figure rises to 47% in women with gestational diabetes. Excessive weight gain during pregnancy is a risk factor for children developing ADHD in this population.
Our study found pregnant women with obesity and gestational diabetes had children with long-term mental health disorders such as ADHD. We did not find this association when these women gained a healthy amount of weight during pregnancy.
Verónica Perea
“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.
It is critical to understand that ADHD is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder with multiple causes. Its development can be influenced by genetic factors, prenatal and perinatal complications, environmental influences, and other maternal health conditions. While there appears to be a link between maternal obesity, diabetes, and ADHD, these factors must be considered in the context of an individual’s overall health and genetic predisposition.
