Children exposed to maternal gestational diabetes mellitus and low socioeconomic status, particularly in combination, appear to be at a substantially increased risk of developing childhood ADHD, according to a study.
The prevalence of GDM has been rising for more than 20 years, particularly among ethnic minorities and individuals with low socioeconomic status, the researchers noted in background information in the article, which appeared Monday on the website of the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. Lifestyle changes that heighten risk, including greater consumption of saturated fats, sugar and processed foods, and sedentary working environments, also have become more common.
To examine the association of gestational diabetes mellitus and low socioeconomic status with neurodevelopment and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder outcomes, Yoko Nomura, MD, PhD, of Queens College, City University of New York, Flushing, and colleagues compared offspring of mothers with and without GDM in an economically diverse sample. The authors distributed the ADHD Rating Scale-IV to parents of 3- and 4-year-old children in preschools surrounding Queens College, and recruited 212 participants at a 2:1 ratio of "at risk" to "typically developing" children.
The average inattention score at baseline for offspring exposed to mother's GDM was significantly higher than for offspring unexposed, but the researchers found no difference in hyperactivity/impulsivity scores between the two groups. Children in low socioeconomic-status (SES) families, compared to high SES families, had greater inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity scores.
The results showed no difference in the risk for ADHD at baseline, but a twofold increased risk at age 6 among children exposed to GDM compared with children who were not exposed. There also was a twofold increased risk for ADHD at baseline and at age 6 among children in low SES families.
Children exposed to both GDM and low SES showed compromised neurobehavioral functioning, including lower IQ, poorer language abilities and diminished behavioral and emotional functioning. When examining the relationship of both GDM and SES exposure on outcomes, the authors found a 14-fold increased risk of developing ADHD among children exposed to both GDM and low SES.
"This study demonstrates that children of mothers with GDM raised in lower SES households are at far greater risk for developing ADHD and showing signs of suboptimal neurocognitive and behaviorial development," the authors wrote. "Since ADHD is a disorder with high heritability, efforts to prevent exposure to environmental risks through patient education may help to reduce the non-genetic modifiable risk for ADHD and other developmental problems."
To read a study summary and access the study via subscription or purchase, visit http://bit.ly/wB0iS6.
The prevalence of GDM has been rising for more than 20 years, particularly among ethnic minorities and individuals with low socioeconomic status, the researchers noted in background information in the article, which appeared Monday on the website of the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. Lifestyle changes that heighten risk, including greater consumption of saturated fats, sugar and processed foods, and sedentary working environments, also have become more common.
To examine the association of gestational diabetes mellitus and low socioeconomic status with neurodevelopment and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder outcomes, Yoko Nomura, MD, PhD, of Queens College, City University of New York, Flushing, and colleagues compared offspring of mothers with and without GDM in an economically diverse sample. The authors distributed the ADHD Rating Scale-IV to parents of 3- and 4-year-old children in preschools surrounding Queens College, and recruited 212 participants at a 2:1 ratio of "at risk" to "typically developing" children.
The average inattention score at baseline for offspring exposed to mother's GDM was significantly higher than for offspring unexposed, but the researchers found no difference in hyperactivity/impulsivity scores between the two groups. Children in low socioeconomic-status (SES) families, compared to high SES families, had greater inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity scores.
The results showed no difference in the risk for ADHD at baseline, but a twofold increased risk at age 6 among children exposed to GDM compared with children who were not exposed. There also was a twofold increased risk for ADHD at baseline and at age 6 among children in low SES families.
Children exposed to both GDM and low SES showed compromised neurobehavioral functioning, including lower IQ, poorer language abilities and diminished behavioral and emotional functioning. When examining the relationship of both GDM and SES exposure on outcomes, the authors found a 14-fold increased risk of developing ADHD among children exposed to both GDM and low SES.
"This study demonstrates that children of mothers with GDM raised in lower SES households are at far greater risk for developing ADHD and showing signs of suboptimal neurocognitive and behaviorial development," the authors wrote. "Since ADHD is a disorder with high heritability, efforts to prevent exposure to environmental risks through patient education may help to reduce the non-genetic modifiable risk for ADHD and other developmental problems."
To read a study summary and access the study via subscription or purchase, visit http://bit.ly/wB0iS6.
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