Are Obese Moms More Likely to Have Kids with Autism Spectrum Disorder?

Are Obese Moms More Likely to Have Kids with Autism Spectrum Disorder? 

   

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is an early neurodevelopmental disorder marked by impairments in social communication and the presence of restricted interests and repetitive behaviors. Approximately 1 in 52 children in the United States has been diagnosed with ASD. With a diagnosis of ASD being four times more likely to occur in boys. In 2000, only 1 in 150 children in the U.S. was diagnosed with ASD. This number rose to 1 in 125 in 2004, to 1 in 88 in 2008, 1 in 69 in 2012, and 1 in 54 in 2016 (Data., 2020). 



These numbers can also be contrasted with data from the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2021 reporting 1 in 160 children have a diagnosis of ASD globally (Autism., 2021). The sharp increase in the prevalence of ASD is suggested in part to be resulting from increased diagnostic awareness. However, this alone does not entirely account for the rapid increase observed over the past twenty years. 

 

Research has found an association between pregnancy and changes to the mother's gut bacteria (Collado., et al., 2008).The gut microbiome is critical to the extraction and storage of energy sources. This is needed for the mother to prepare for the increasing energy needed to sustain the developing pregnancy. 


An emerging problematic factor for childhood development is the role a “Western” diet plays on maternal gut biome health and Maternal Immune Activation (MIA). As of 2021, 50% of women in the United States were obese or overweight. Other research suggests that maternal gut biome health is passed to the child during pregnancy and sets the framework for the child’s lifelong gut biome health. Where this becomes problematic is that Autism Spectrum Disorder is connected to poor gut biome health. The 2021 study titled Evidence for maternal diet-mediated effects on the offspring microbiome and immunity: implications for public health initiatives, published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Pediatric research found that 50% of women of childbearing age in the U.S. are overweight or obese (BMI of 25 or higher) (Mirpuri., 2021).


Data from the World Health Organization shows approximately 40% of expectant mothers in Western countries gain an excessive amount of weight during pregnancy. Records also show that rates of obesity in women between the ages of 20 and 39 have tripled in the U.S. between 1960 and 2000 (Hsu., et al., 2020).

The first studies on the prevalence of ASD in the U.S. started in the 1960s and 1970s. These early studies from the 1960s put the prevalence of ASD at being between 2 - 4 per 10,000 children (Prevalence., 2015). It is interesting to contrast the rise in pregnancy obesity and the rise in ASD in the United States. There was an 11.3% increase in pregnancy obesity (BMI or 30 or higher) between 2004 and 2016 (Chen., et al., 2018). While rates of ASD skyrocketed from 1 in 125 in 2004 to 1 in 54 in 2016 (Data., 2020). 


These statistics are important for shaping the urgency behind the need for additional research to be conducted on the connection between maternal BMI/gut health and childhood development. 


Citations:


Autism spectrum disorders. (2021, June 1). WHO | World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/autism-spectrum-disorders

  

Chen, C., Xu, X., & Yan, Y. (2018). Estimated global overweight and obesity burden in pregnant women based on panel data model. PloS one, 13(8), e0202183. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0202183


Collado, M. C., Isolauri, E., Laitinen, K., and Salminen, S. (2008). Distinct composition of gut microbiota during pregnancy in overweight and normal-weight women. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 88, 894–899. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/88.4.894


Data and statistics on autism spectrum disorder | CDC. (2020, September 25). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/data.html


Hsu, M.-H., Chen, Y.-C., Sheen, J.-M., & Huang, L.-T. (2020). Maternal Obesity Programs Offspring Development and Resveratrol Potentially Reprograms the Effects of Maternal Obesity. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(5). https://doi-org.ezproxy.snhu.edu/10.3390/ijerph17051610


Mirpuri J. (2021). Evidence for maternal diet-mediated effects on the offspring microbiome and immunity: implications for public health initiatives. Pediatric research, 89(2), 301–306. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41390-020-01121-x

   

Prevalence of intellectual disabilities - Mental disorders and disabilities among low-income children - NCBI bookshelf. (2015, October 28). National Center for Biotechnology Information. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK332894/?report=reader#_NBK332894_pubdet_



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