Maternal Diabetes and ADHD in Children: Global Research Findings

Context

Worldwide, ⁢around 16% of women experience high blood⁢ sugar levels while pregnant, and the occurrence ‍of diabetes during pregnancy has been increasing​ due to ‌factors like ‍being overweight and having⁢ a child at an older age. This can have a​ detrimental impact on ​the baby’s brain and nervous system development. ADHD is among the most prevalent neurodevelopmental disorders ‌in children, and it can lead to serious negative outcomes. People with ADHD are at risk for‍ issues such as emotional problems, self-harm, substance abuse,‌ academic struggles, being expelled from school, and ⁢difficulties finding work.

and relationships, and even criminality.

There⁤ has ⁣been ongoing debate about the impact of maternal diabetes ​on the risk of ADHD in children due to inconsistent findings in previous studies. This has raised concerns about pregnancies in‌ women with diabetes and their potential⁣ connection to the risk of ADHD in children. Recognizing ‌the importance of identifying risk factors for ADHD, especially ⁣for women of childbearing age, a cross-regional study funded by‍ the Hong Kong ‍Research Grants Council used population-based data from China’s Hong Kong, Taiwan, New Zealand, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden to comprehensively analyze the issue.This article aims ‍to​ examine the link between⁣ maternal⁣ diabetes ⁣and ​the ⁢likelihood of ADHD in children. The research methods and findings of the study are ​as follows:

The study included a large sample⁣ size ‍of ​over 3.6 million mother-child pairs from the years 2001 to 2014, with follow-up continuing until 2020. The researchers⁤ made significant observations about the connection⁣ between maternal diabetes during pregnancy and ⁢the risk of ADHD. The⁢ study revealed⁤ that children born to mothers with ‌any form of diabetes, whether it was before or during pregnancy,⁤ had a slightly higher risk of ⁣developing ADHD compared ‍to children who were not exposed, ⁤with a hazard ratio of 1.16. The study’s findings are crucial in understanding the impact of maternal diabetes on ‍the likelihood of ADHD in offspring.There were higher ‌chances of‍ ADHD ‍for both gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy) and pregestational​ diabetes (diabetes before pregnancy). The hazard ratio for gestational diabetes was 1.10, ‍showing a slightly increased risk. On ‌the other hand, the hazard ratio for pregestational diabetes was 1.39, ​indicating ⁢a more significant‍ association.

Surprisingly, when the research team compared the risk of ADHD between⁣ siblings with different exposure to gestational diabetes, ⁣they found no ⁣significant difference. This unexpected result suggests that the ​previously identified risk of ADHD ⁣when children ⁤were exposed to gestational diabetes may not be as significant.gestational diabetes during pregnancy is more likely​ caused by shared genetic and⁢ familial factors, rather than solely gestational diabetes. These findings ‌contradict previous research⁤ that suggested maternal diabetes during or before pregnancy could increase the‌ risk of ADHD in children.

Research significance

Professor⁢ Ian Wong Chi-kei, Lo Shiu ‌Kwan Kan ⁢Po Ling Professor in Pharmacy, and Head of the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy at HKUMed, stated ⁣that collaborating with renowned‌ scholars from around the world to analyze cross-regional cases spanning over 20 years was a significant aspect ⁣of⁤ the research.The task was quite ⁣challenging. The team worked together⁢ to gain a thorough understanding⁢ of the topic.

‘Unlike previous research that ‌suggested a​ strong ‍link between maternal diabetes during pregnancy‍ and the risk of ​ADHD, our‍ study discovered only a slight connection between maternal‌ diabetes and ADHD in children. This was after taking into account ⁤the complex interaction of different influential factors. It’s important to note that comparisons between siblings⁢ indicated that this association is probably affected by shared ‍genetic and familial factors, especially in the case⁢ of gestational diabetes,’ Professor Wong explained.

He emphasized the‍ importance of further research and understanding ⁤in this area.The study emphasizes the importance of thoughtful consideration and further investigation. It ⁤suggests that women planning pregnancy should⁢ take ​into account their overall risk profile rather ⁢than just focusing on gestational diabetes. The future⁤ research should explore the specific roles of genetic factors and⁢ proper blood sugar control during different stages of embryonic brain development in humans.

The research team was co-led by Professor ‍Ian Wong Chi-kei, Lo Shiu Kwan Kan Po Ling Professor in Pharmacy, and Head of the Department of Pharmacology and‍ Pharmacy at HKUMed, along with Dr. Kenneth Man.Keng-cheung, Honorary Assistant Professor at HKUMed and Lecturer at University​ College ⁣London; Dr Carolyn Cesta, Assistant Professor at⁣ Karolinska Institute, Sweden; Professor Edward Lai Chia-cheng, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan; ⁢Professor Helga ‍Zoega, Associate Professor at UNSW Sydney, Australia. The primary authors were Dr ⁣Adrienne Chan Yu-ling, Senior Research Assistant, and Dr Gao Le, Postdoctoral ⁣Fellow, at the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy.cy, HKUMed; Dr Miyuki Hsieh Hsing-chun, School⁣ of Pharmacy, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan; and Dr ‍Lars Kjerpeseth, Department of Chronic Diseases, Norwegian Institute of Public Health.

Other members in the research team included experts in child psychiatry and epidemiology such as⁣ Dr⁤ Raquel ⁤Avelar, Professor Tobias Banaschewski,⁤ Dr Amy Chan Hai-yan, ⁢Professor David Coghill, ⁢Dr Jacqueline M Cohen, Dr Mika Gissler, ‍Professor Jeff Harrison, Professor Patrick Ip‍ Pak-keung, Clinical Professor, Department of Paediatrics and‌ Adolescent ⁣Medicine, School of Clinical ⁣Medicine, HKUMed,⁤ Dr Øystein Karlstad, and Dr Wallis⁤ CY Lau, ​HonoraryThe following individuals were involved in the research project: Research Associate, Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, HKUMed; Dr Maarit K Leinonen; Dr Leung Wing-cheong; Liao Tzu-chi; Dr Johan Reutfors; Dr‍ Shao Shih-chieh; Professor Emily ⁤Simonoff; Professor Kathryn⁢ Tan Choon-beng, Department ​of Medicine, ⁤School of ‍Clinical Medicine, ⁤HKUMed; Professor Katja Taxis; and Andrew Tomlin.

Acknowledgements

Funding ⁣for this work was provided by ⁣the‌ General Research⁢ Fund of the Hong Kong Research Grants Council.