Maternal Diabetes and the Risk of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in Offspring.

PHD center researchers Dr. Miyuki Hsing-Chun Hsieh and Professor Edward Chia-Cheng Lai (et. al.), in collaboration with teams from NeuroGEN (Neurological and mental health Global Epidemiology Network), have published a paper in the Nature Medicine. Their findings indicate that there is a small-to-moderate association between maternal diabetes mellitus (MDM) and ADHD, whereas the association between gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and ADHD is unlikely to be causal. This finding contrasts with previous studies, which reported substantially higher risk estimates, and underscores the need to reevaluate the precise roles of hyperglycemia and genetic factors in the relationship between MDM and ADHD.