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  1. Health and Nutrition News

  2. Jul 11, 2018

Diabetes in Mothers May Increase Risk of Autism in Offspring

Diabetes in pregnant women may increase the risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in their children, according to data published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Tracking more than 400,000 children, risk for ASD increased with exposure from all three types of diabetes, but incidence rates were highest among those children whose mothers had type 1 diabetes, followed by type 2, gestational diagnosed before 26 weeks of pregnancy, gestational diagnosed after 26 weeks of pregnancy, and lastly the least incidence rates among children whose mothers had no diabetes. These results add to existing concerns regarding maternal diabetes, particularly early in pregnancy.

References

  1. Xiang AH, Wang X, Martinez MP, Page K, Buchanan TA, Feldman RK. Maternal type 1 diabetes and risk of autism in offspring. JAMA. 2018;320:89-91.

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