Exploring the association between gestational diabetes exposure and mental and behavioural disorders in offspring: the Finnish gestational diabetes (FinnGeDi) register-based study.

This Finnish study followed nearly 60,000 children to see if having a mother with gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy) affected their mental health. Children whose mothers had gestational diabetes were more likely to have behavioural problems, developmental delays, and other mental health conditions by age 10. The effect was stronger in boys than girls. About 15% of children exposed to gestational diabetes had these conditions compared to 12% of other children.

This large Finnish registry study examined 58,330 children born in 2009, comparing those exposed to maternal gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) versus controls. Children exposed to GDM had significantly higher rates of mental and behavioural disorders (15.4% vs 11.7%). After adjusting for confounders, GDM exposure increased odds of these disorders by 18% overall, but this effect was only significant in boys (25% increased odds). Specifically, GDM-exposed children showed higher rates of behavioural disorders, developmental disorders, and behavioural disorders with physiological disturbances.

This population-based cohort provides evidence that maternal GDM may be an independent risk factor for neurodevelopmental and mental health conditions in offspring, particularly males, during the first decade of life.

Findings suggest children of mothers with GDM, particularly boys, may benefit from enhanced developmental surveillance and early intervention services. Healthcare providers should consider maternal GDM history when assessing neurodevelopmental risk and planning preventive care strategies.

Study relies on register-based diagnoses which may underestimate true prevalence. Follow-up limited to first 10 years of life, potentially missing later-onset conditions. Observational design cannot establish causation despite statistical adjustments for confounders.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is associated with an increased risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in offspring. Our aim was to investigate whether GDM exposure is linked to wider spectrum of mental and behavioural disorders in offspring during the first 10 years of life. This study included a population-based cohort of all women who delivered a singleton child in Finland in 2009, including 6,560 children exposed to maternal GDM and 51,770 control children. The main outcomes were the prevalence of mental and behavioural (including neurodevelopmental) disorders, and their subcategories, in study groups.

Mother- and child-related covariates were adjusted for in the analyses. Children exposed to GDM had a higher prevalence of mental and behavioural disorders (n = 1,010, 15.4%) compared with controls (n = 6,066, 11.7%; adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 1.18, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.09-1.28). In adjusted analyses, higher odds were observed only in boys (aOR: 1.25, 95% CI: 1.13-1.38). Specifically, GDM-exposed children had higher odds of behavioural disorders (aOR: 1.13, 95% CI: 1.02-1.25), developmental disorders (aOR: 1.14, 95% CI: 1.03-1.27) and behavioural disorders with physiological disturbances (aOR: 1.59, 95% CI: 1.16-2.18).

Children exposed to maternal GDM have a higher prevalence of mental and behavioural disorders compared with non-exposed children. Notably, GDM exposure was shown to be an independent risk factor for these disorders in boys only.