• Having diabetes during pregnancy could be associated to an increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in the child such as autism.

• This was highlighted in a study published in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology journal.

• Children exposed to maternal diabetes were at a 25 per cent increased risk of developing autism spectrum disorder, 30 per cent increased risk of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and 32 per cent increased risk of intellectual disability, compared to those not exposed, according to the findings of the study.

• Maternal diabetes was also found to increase risk of communication, learning and motor disorders among exposed children.

• However, the researchers called for a cautious interpretation of the study’s results as they said there is currently little evidence of a causal link.

• Cases of maternal diabetes — Type 1 or Type 2, or developing gestational diabetes while pregnant — are on the rise around the world.

• Factors such as obesity, sedentary lifestyle and having an advanced age at motherhood (35 and above) are considered to increase risk of maternal diabetes.

• Previous studies have suggested that maternal diabetes is linked to an altered development of the foetus’ brain, and may also be linked to long-term neurodevelopmental disorders in children such as autism and ADHD.

• However, evidence in this regard has been unclear, the researchers said.

• For the study, they analysed data of over 56 million mother-child pairs from more than 200 previously published studies, which looked at the effects of maternal diabetes on children's neurodevelopment.

• Overall, children of mothers with diabetes in pregnancy had a 28 per cent increased risk of having a neurodevelopmental disorder, compared to children of mothers without diabetes, the team found.

• They said the findings provide important insights into the potential risks faced by children of mothers with diabetes.

• The team also called for further research to look deeper into the link between maternal pregnancy and neurodevelopmental disorders in children, which could help establish the reason for this association.

(The author is a trainer for Civil Services aspirants.)