Could Obesity be Tied to Autism, Childhood Development?

Study calls for mothers to eat healthier

A new study is revealing how children born to obese women are more likely to be diagnosed with autism or related developmental delays than children of slimmer moms.

The study, which couldn't prove that one condition causes the other, cautioned that even the possibility is worrisome in light of rising U.S. obesity rates.

"If there is anything you can do to make yourself healthier, this is yet another reason for moms to consider," said Paula Krakowiak, a researcher at the University of California, Davis, who led the study.

1004 children who were between two and five years old were involved in the study. There were 517 of the children in the study that had autism spectrum disorder and 172 had developmental delays.  A total of 48 of the children were born to mothers with Type 2 or gestational diabetes, 111 to mothers who were obese and 148 to moms with some sort of metabolic condition like high blood pressure.

For children with a developmental delay, 20 were both to mothers with Type 2 or gestational diabetes, 41 to mothers who were obese and 60 to moms with any sort of metabolic condition.

"There is definitely an association present and it adds to the reasons for finding ways to lower obesity rates or diabetes rates and make greater efforts to change lifestyle factors," said Krakowiak.

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