Do maternal weight and excessive weight gain during pregnancy influence the risk of mental health problems such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among children born to mothers with gestational diabetes? Apparently yes. 

The risk of ADHD is increased 2-folds in children of obese mothers with gestational diabetes and excessive weight gain during pregnancy, according to a recent study from Spain published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.¹

Researchers from Spain attempted to find the answer to this question in a study involving children of mothers with gestational diabetes 1991 and 2008. The follow-up period was a median of 17.7 years.

Out of the 1036 children included in the study, 135 (13%) were diagnosed with ADHD.  The rates of ADHD were highest among obese (16.4%) and overweight (14.2%) mothers versus normal weight mothers (11.4%). Children born to underweight mothers had the minimum risk with only 7% developing ADHD.

Children of obese mothers with gestational diabetes were at nearly twice the risk of developing ADHD compared to children of non-obese mothers with gestational diabetes with adjusted hazard ratio of 1.66. Obese mothers who gained excessive weight during their pregnancy more than doubled the odds of their infants developing ADHD with adjusted HR of 2.13. No such association was observed for mothers with pre-pregnancy obesity who did not gain excessive weight during pregnancy.   

This study has shown a higher risk of ADHD among children born to obese women with gestational diabetes and who also gained significant weight during pregnancy. No such risk was seen among obese women in whom the weight gain in pregnancy was within normal limits. Pregnant women therefore should be educated about the adverse impacts of excessive weight gain such as ADHD in their children and encouraged to maintain a healthy weight during pregnancy.

Reference

1. Verónica Perea, et al. Role of excessive weight gain during gestation in the risk of adhd in offspring of women with gestational diabetes. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2022 Sep 8;dgac483. doi: 10.1210/clinem/dgac483.