A new study has produced more evidence that mothers with diabetes during pregnancy have a higher likelihood of giving birth to children with brain and nervous system problems.
The children of mothers who had diabetes during pregnancy showed a 28% higher likelihood of being diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental disorder like autism. While a correlation was determined, researchers still do not know whether diabetes is the actual cause of the heightened medical risks.
The exhaustive research examined over 200 earlier studies that analyzed data from over 56 million mother-child pairs. Zooming in, the study found a 25% higher chance of autism risk for children of mothers with diabetes during pregnancy, a 30% higher risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and a 32% higher chance of intellectual disability.
The study also found a 16% higher risk of learning disorders, a 17% higher chance of developing movement problems, and a 20% increase in children having trouble with communication.
Taken together, when diabetes is diagnosed before pregnancy, the researchers found a 39% higher risk for one or more of the listed neurodevelopmental disorders compared to women who develop gestational diabetes that begins in pregnancy but often resolves following childbirth.
Last year, The Dallas Express reported on a study that found lowering sugar intake during the first 1,000 days following conception (i.e., during the pregnancy stage and into the child’s second year) may substantially cut the risk of chronic health problems in adulthood. The researchers found that limiting sugar during early life was correlated with a 35% reduction in the child developing type 2 diabetes and a 20% reduction in developing high blood pressure.