From the moment the heartbeats first echo in the womb, a bond is woven in silence—a thread of love that grows with every breath, unbroken from the first stirrings to a lifetime of shared steps. No number of words can fully describe the mother-child bond; it’s not just about love, but the deep connection between them, woven into every drop of blood.
This bond not only underscores the element of affection but also highlights the close connection between a mother's physical health and wellness and the overall development of her child. So, take care of yourself while he grows inside.
A new global study suggests that having diabetes during pregnancy is linked to an increased risk of brain and nervous system issues in children, such as autism. While it's not clear if diabetes directly causes these problems, children born to mothers with diabetes during pregnancy are more likely to be diagnosed with neurodevelopmental disorders. The study looked at data from over 56 million mother-child pairs across 202 earlier studies.
Key findings of the study published in the latest edition of The Lancet (Online first) suggests that children of mothers with diabetes during pregnancy are 28% more likely to have a neurodevelopmental disorder. Risks are higher for autism (25% more likely), ADHD (30% more likely), and intellectual disabilities (32% more likely).
The likelihood of other issues like communication problems (20% higher), movement problems (17% higher), and learning disorders (16% higher) are also increased in these children. The diabetes that existed before pregnancy (pre-gestational diabetes) posed a 39% higher risk of these problems compared to gestational diabetes (which develops during pregnancy but often goes away afterward).
The study, conducted by researchers at Department of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, China, also found that diabetes affects around 9% of pregnancies in the US, and this number is rising. Some earlier studies compared affected children with their siblings and didn’t find a clear effect from the mother's diabetes, suggesting that genetics or family factors might also play a role in the increased risk.
India Scenario
Although pregnancies in India are not included in this new study, here's a shocking fact: On average, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) affects roughly 10 to 14% of pregnant women in India, significantly higher than in Western countries. A recent study by the Diabetes in Pregnancy Study Group India (DIPSI) found higher prevalence rates in urban areas (17.8%) compared to semi-urban (13.8%) and rural areas (9.9%).
GDM is becoming a significant public health concern in India, where the number of diabetic women is projected to reach 313.3 million by 2040. In 2015, it was estimated that over five million pregnant women in India were affected by GDM, making up 16.2% of the total 20.9 million live births that year.
At least half a dozen medical experts, including doctors and researchers, with whom The New Indian Express spoke, emphasised the importance of medical support for women at risk of developing diabetes and the need for ongoing monitoring of children born to mothers with diabetes.
The Central South University study highlights a most possible connection between maternal diabetes and increased risks of neurodevelopmental disorders in children. But more research is needed to understand the exact cause and how different types of diabetes affect children’s development.