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Maternal body mass index before pregnancy as a risk factor for ADHD and autism in children

Christina Hebsgaard Andersen1, Per Hove Thomsen1, Ellen Aagaard Nohr2

  • 1Center for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Aarhus University Hospital, Risskov, Denmark.

European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
|July 17, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Maternal obesity before pregnancy increases the risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in children. Underweight mothers also showed an increased risk for ASD, highlighting the importance of pre-pregnancy weight for neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Neurodevelopmental Disorders
  • Maternal Health
  • Environmental Epidemiology

Background:

  • Maternal pre-pregnancy obesity is a potential environmental risk factor for neurodevelopmental disorders.
  • Previous research on the association between maternal pre-pregnancy weight and ADHD/ASD risk has yielded inconsistent results.
  • Understanding these associations is crucial for public health initiatives and early intervention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and the risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in offspring.
  • To examine these associations in children diagnosed with ADHD, ASD, or comorbid ADHD and ASD.
  • To clarify the impact of maternal underweight, overweight, and obesity on the risk of these neurodevelopmental conditions.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from the Danish National Birth Cohort (DNBC), including 81,892 mother-child pairs.
  • Collected pre-pregnancy weight and height data at week 16 of gestation, categorizing mothers by BMI.
  • Diagnoses of ADHD and/or ASD were identified through Danish health registries, with hazard ratios (HRs) estimated using time-to-event analysis.

Main Results:

  • Maternal overweight, obesity, and severe obesity were significantly associated with an increased risk of ADHD in children compared to normal weight mothers.
  • A similar pattern of increased risk was observed for the combined ADHD and ASD group.
  • Maternal underweight and obesity were associated with an increased risk of ASD, while maternal underweight showed a notable association with ASD risk.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal obesity before pregnancy is identified as a significant risk factor for developing ADHD in children.
  • Both maternal obesity and underweight may be linked to an elevated risk of ASD in offspring.
  • These findings underscore the importance of maternal pre-pregnancy weight management for reducing the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in children.

Keywords:
ADHDAutism spectrum disorderBirth cohortBody mass indexHyperkinetic disorderLongitudinal study

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