Pregnancy diabetes combined with obesity doubles the risk of autism in newborns

Children of obese mothers with diabetes are particularly at risk of autism
Obesity affects many people in Germany and overweight can cause numerous health problems, so we should all be careful to maintain a healthy body weight. Now scientists have found that especially expectant mothers have to keep an eye on their weight. Because the children of overweight mothers are twice as likely to develop autism.

A healthy body weight helps us to avoid many health problems. Especially expectant mothers should make sure that they are not overweight during pregnancy. A new study has now revealed that children of such mothers are at an increased risk of developing autism. The American researchers published the results of their study in the journal "Pedriatrics".

Obesity during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of autism in unborn children. (Image: cnky photography / fotolia.com)

Risk of getting a child with autism almost doubled
All people should be careful to maintain a normal body weight, as the consequences of being overweight can be very unpleasant for our health. For overweight women with a desire for children, there is one more reason to lose weight. Obesity in pregnancy is associated with an almost twice as high risk for the children to develop autism in their later life, say scientists from the "Johns Hopkins University". The researchers conducted a study on the consequences of obesity in pregnancy and analyzed the data of about 3,000 mothers and their children. The study began in 1998 and ended in 2014.

Risk of autism already starts in the womb
Every 68th child in the United States has an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), according to experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Compared to common childhood illnesses such as obesity and asthma, autism spectrum disorder is relatively rare in the U.S. Xiaobin Wang. However, the personal, family and social impact of ASD is enormous. Thus, it is particularly dramatic that the children of overweight mothers are at an increased risk of developing autism. The risk of such children developing autism increases to about 3 percent if the mothers are overweight or have diabetes during their pregnancy, the researchers say.

The doctors point out that the risk has even increased to almost 6 percent if the mothers were obese and had diabetes. Our research shows that the risk of autism already begins in the womb, says dr. Daniele Fallin from the Bloomberg School of Mental Health. It is important to find out how the combination of obesity and diabetes affects the health of the fetus, the researchers add. Although the relationship between autism and maternal health is not fully understood, diabetes-linked hormones may affect the fetal brain. Children with ASD diagnosis were mostly premature boys born with a low birth weight. The mothers were mostly older, overweight or suffering from diabetes during their pregnancy, explain the American scientists. (As)