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Parental obesity and risk of autism spectrum disorder

Pål Surén1, Nina Gunnes2, Christine Roth2

  • 1Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway; Centre for Paediatric Epidemiology and Biostatistics, UCL Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom; pal.suren@fhi.no.

Pediatrics
|April 9, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Paternal obesity, but not maternal obesity, is linked to a higher risk of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) in children. Further research into genetic and epigenetic factors is recommended.

Area of Science:

  • Reproductive Health
  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Obesity is a growing global health concern with potential impacts on offspring neurodevelopment.
  • Understanding parental factors contributing to autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) is crucial for early identification and intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the association between parental pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and the risk of ASDs in children.
  • To differentiate the impact of maternal versus paternal BMI on ASD risk.

Main Methods:

  • A population-based prospective cohort study of 92,909 children from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study.
  • Logistic regression models were used to estimate relative risks (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for ASD diagnoses.

Main Results:

  • Paternal obesity (BMI ≥30) was associated with an increased risk of autistic disorder (OR=1.73) and Asperger disorder (OR=2.01).
  • Maternal obesity showed only a weak association with ASD risk.
  • No significant associations were found for pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified.

Conclusions:

  • Paternal obesity independently increases the risk of specific autism spectrum disorders in children.
  • Future research should explore the underlying genetic and epigenetic mechanisms linking paternal obesity to ASDs.
Abstract

Keywords:
Asperger disorderPDD-NOSautism spectrum disorderautistic disorderchild cohort studyparental BMIparental obesity

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