Medical/Surgical/Diseases/Complications
Poster Session 2
.jpg "David Rubinshtein, MD photo")
David Rubinshtein, MD
Dr. David Rubinshtein
Soroka Medical Center
Beer-Sheva, HaDarom, Israel
Omri Zamstein, MD
Soroka University Medical Center
Beer-Sheva, HaDarom, Israel
Tamar Wainstock, PhD (she/her/hers)
Ben Gurion University
Beer-Sheva, HaDarom, Israel
Eyal Sheiner, MD, PhD
Head of department of Obstetrics and Gynecology B, Soroka University Medical Center
Soroka University Medical Center
Beer-Sheva, HaDarom, Israel
While several environmental and perinatal factors have been associated with the development of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), there is still much to uncover. In this study, we investigated the association between GDM (gestational diabetes mellitus), a condition that is becoming more widespread worldwide, and ASD in childhood.
Study Design:
A population-based cohort analysis using data from community clinics and a tertiary referral hospital was conducted. The analysis focused on deliveries that occurred between the years 2015 and 2017. We chose this specific year limit based as individuals born after that year may be too young to have received a diagnosis of ASD. The incidence of offspring ASD was compared between mothers with and without gestational diabetes mellitus diagnosis. To assess the cumulative ASD incidence, a Kaplan-Meier survival curve was utilized. Additionally, a Cox proportional hazards model was employed to account for potential confounding factors.
Results:
Out of 165,689 deliveries included in our study, 4,971 (3.0%) were complicated with diet-controlled gestational diabetes and 1,829 (1.1%) with gestational diabetes requiring medication. Parturients who had GDMA1 or GDMA2 were compared to those without gestational diabetes. Within this cohort, 862 offspring were diagnosed with ASD during childhood. Univariate analysis showed a significant association between GDM and its severity and the risk of ASD diagnosis (1.2% vs. 0.8% vs. 0.5% for GDMA2, GDMA1, and no GDM, respectively; p< 0.001; table). However, the cumulative morbidity observed in the Kaplan-Meier survival curve was comparable between the groups (Log-rank p-value = 0.111; figure). Moreover, when controlling for factors such as gestational age, maternal age, and cesarean section, using a Cox proportional hazards model, no association was found between any type of GDM and the risk of ASD (as seen in the table).
Conclusion:
Although the long-term effects of gestational diabetes mellitus on offspring are a matter of concern, our study indicates that there is no significant link between this condition and ASD in children.