[Association between overweight/obesity in parents and autism spectrum disorders in offspring]

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Health
• Pediatric Neurology
• Genetics

Background:

• Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition with increasing prevalence.
• Factors influencing ASD development are multifactorial, including genetic and environmental influences.
• Parental pre-conception health status is an emerging area of research in relation to offspring neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between parental overweight/obesity prior to pregnancy and the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in offspring.
• To identify specific parental weight status factors that may contribute to ASD development.

Main Methods:

• A case-control study involving 36 children diagnosed with ASD and 72 age- and sex-matched controls.
• Data collection via questionnaire on parental pre-pregnancy body weight and maternal weight gain.
• Statistical analysis using univariate and multivariate logistic regression models.

Main Results:

• Fathers in the ASD group exhibited a significantly higher prevalence of overweight/obesity before pregnancy compared to the control group (56% vs. 32%, P=0.018).
• Paternal pre-pregnancy overweight/obesity was identified as an independent risk factor for ASD in offspring, with odds ratios of 2.66 (univariate) and 2.58 (multivariate).

Conclusions:

• Paternal overweight/obesity before conception is a significant and independent risk factor for the development of autism spectrum disorder in offspring.
• Recommendations include emphasizing the importance of paternal weight management to maintain a healthy body mass index prior to pregnancy to mitigate ASD risk.