Diabetes during pregnancy 'links to ADHD and autism risk in children' (2025)

According to a new study, having diabetes while pregnant has been linked to higher risks of neurodevelopmental disorders in children.

New research has suggested that there is a potential link between having diabetes during pregnancy and an increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in children, such as autism and ADHD.

While researchers have said that there needs to be further investigations, they have highlighted that it is crucial to check your blood sugar levels while pregnant through "diligent monitoring".

The meta-analysis encompassed 202 studies, which involved more than 56million pregnancies altogether. 110 of these studies focused on gestational diabetes - which arises during pregnancy and normally resolves after birth - while 80 looked into pre-gestational diabetes - women who have been diagnosed with type 1 or 2 diabetes before pregnancy.

This research revealed that children born to mothers who have diabetes during pregnancy had a 28 per cent increased risk of developing a neurodevelopmental disorder, reports the Express. This is in comparison to mothers who did not have the condition.

Looking into different disorders, the study showed a 32 per cent heightened risk of intellectual disability, a 30 per cent raised risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) , as well as a 25 per cent increased risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

It was also found that these risks were more pronounced in women who had diabetes pre-pregnancy opposed to those who developed gestational diabetes.

The researchers have urged mothers to check their blood sugar levels, saying that "diligent monitoring of maternal glycaemic concentrations throughout pregnancy is imperative".

They stated: "To the best of our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis to assess neurodevelopmental outcomes in children born to mothers with specific types of diabetes."

However, the researchers have also cautioned that while the findings published in The Lancet offer "novel insights into the potential risks", it is important to interpret them with caution.

Reacting to the study, Lucilla Poston, a professor of maternal and foetal health at King's College London, commented: "The human foetus is exquisitely vulnerable to changes in its environment which may affect life-long health."

She also added that the "well conducted" review "benefits from a focus on studies that ruled out several factors, such as maternal obesity or socioeconomic status, which could explain the association".

"While the conclusion is that children born to mothers with diabetes are at risk of neurodevelopmental disorders, all contributing studies were observational, with no attempt to intervene to prevent any effect, and causality must be treated with caution.

"As appreciated by the authors, interpretation may be complicated by effects of diabetes treatment, and the international non-conformity in the diagnosis of gestational diabetes."

She continues to emphasise that it is crucial that we continue to find treatment to help prevent the development of diabetes.

She said: "However, other evidence does imply causality, including many studies in experimental animals. Also, data is emerging from MRI imaging of the brains of children exposed to maternal diabetes, showing structural and functional changes in the hypothalamus, a region of the brain intricately involved in both mental and physical health.

"For this and other reasons, diabetes prevention, screening and treatment remain critically important not only for the health of the mother, but also her child."