association of maternal diabetes during pregnancy with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in offspring in an iranian population: a case-control study

Background and aims: gestational diabetes has long-term adverse consequences for both the mother and child and seems to be a risk factor for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (adhd) in children. however, no research has been conducted in this regard in iran. methods: this was a case-control study. the sample consisted of 225 children who were referred to the general and psychiatric clinic of besat hospital in sanandaj and were evaluated for a history of maternal diabetes in the fetal period. the diagnosis of adhd in children was based on a structured clinical interview with schedule for affective disorders and schizophrenia for school-age children-present and lifetime version (k-sads-pl) by a psychiatrist and a short and revised form of conners’ parent scale. the data were analyzed using stata 14. results: the results showed that 25.3% of the mothers of children with adhd had gestational diabetes during pregnancy, and 17.3% were taking diabetes medication. however, the results revealed that there is no statistically significant relationship between the history of gestational diabetes and adhd (p=0.427). furthermore, the logistic regression results demonstrated that the place of residence (p<0.027, or=8.351) increases the probability of suffering from adhd in children, while the age of the mother during pregnancy (p<0.031, or=0.907) decreases the probability of the child suffering from adhd. conclusion: although cohort studies have associated gestational diabetes with an increased risk of adhd in children, the results of this case-control study do not support this association.