Gestational Diabetes Linked to Increased Risk of ADHD and Autism, New Research Shows
September 21, 2025 – A large-scale meta-analysis has revealed a connection between gestational diabetes and an increased risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism in children, though researchers emphasize that the study does not prove causation.The research, published recently, adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting a link between maternal metabolic health and neurodevelopmental outcomes.
The meta-analysis, encompassing data from over 1.5 million children, found that approximately 2% of children and teenagers have ADHD.These latest findings echo a previous meta-analysis published in The Lancet diabetes & Endocrinology in June, which analyzed 56 million mother-child pairs and indicated that all types of diabetes in pregnancy – including type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes – are associated with a higher risk of ADHD and autism in offspring.
However, scientists caution against interpreting correlation as causation. “There’s no doubt that there is a signal here, but certainly further research is required,” says Alex Polyakov, an obstetrician and researcher at the University of Melbourne in Australia.
The study comes amid heightened public attention to the causes of autism,fueled by recent statements from US President Donald Trump suggesting a potential link between autism and acetaminophen (paracetamol) use during pregnancy. Trump’s management is reportedly preparing to announce findings on this connection, a claim that contradicts existing medical guidelines which deem acetaminophen safe for use during pregnancy.
While environmental factors like folic-acid deficiency, air pollution, and gestational diabetes can have a small-to-moderate effect on the risk of ADHD and autism, genetics remains the strongest influencing factor, according to Ling-jun Li, a clinician-scientist at the National University of singapore and a co-author of the gestational diabetes study.
“In practice, both genetic predisposition and environmental factors likely interact,” Polyakov adds.
Beyond neurodevelopmental impacts,research spanning the past two decades has established that gestational diabetes carries long-term health risks for mothers,including increased susceptibility to type 2 diabetes,heart disease,stroke,and chronic kidney disease. Li and her colleagues initiated the review to comprehensively assess the evidence regarding the condition’s effects on children’s neurocognitive growth.
