Autism, ADHD, and Maternal Obesity: A Personal Reflection from an Autistic Woman By: Michelle Zeman

image of the writer of this blog, caucasian women with red hair wearing glasses smiling and wearing a green top with white polka dots

Did you know that obesity during pregnancy may contribute to their child potentially developing Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)? 

This shocked me, too! According to an Australian meta-analysis, obesity during pregnancy was found to be more than double the risk of a child developing ASD, while the risk of ADHD increased by 32%. In this meta-analysis, maternal overweight and obesity before and during pregnancy were studied, and interestingly enough, showed significant links with psychiatric and behavioral problems in children later in life.

I was reading this from a Newsweek article, and, of course, I have to practice philosophical doubt, meaning I have to question its credibility. Then I stumbled upon this research article. As a behavior analyst, I find myself curious to look at the data behind this. Lo and behold, the scientific evidence showed up, and my doubts were silenced. 

It’s interesting, though, because I would have never thought that the size of a person pre- and during pregnancy might contribute to behavioral issues. I can’t say for certain that this is the case for all women, so I would love to see a replicated study happen. I’d especially love to see this in my home country of the United States, which is ranked 12th in the world for obesity. 

Now, I don’t see myself having or wanting children at any point in my lifetime. This is a personal decision I made long ago for reasons unrelated to obesity. However, as an Autistic person, I was thinking about this more. My mom has never been obese - not even sure if she’s ever been overweight, really. 

At the end of the day, ASD is a neurodevelopmental disorder. Like most conditions, it likely develops through a combination of genetic and environmental factors—some of which we may not yet completely understand. While the research suggests that there may be a correlation between maternal obesity and increased likelihood of ASD or ADHD, correlation does not equal causation. It does not mean that obesity in pregnant women causes their child to have ASD, and that every child born to an overweight or obese parent may have it as well.

Regardless of this, I think it’s worth delving into further - not as a means to assign blame or feel guilty, but to gain a better understanding of the factors that may contribute to neurodevelopmental outcomes in children. Heck, if we can identify early risk factors, maybe we can provide more support for families early on, or even influence public health policy in positive ways?


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