Parental type 1 diabetes may increase offspring risk for ADHD

(HealthDay)—Children whose parents have type 1 diabetes (T1D) have a higher risk of being diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to a study published online Jan. 26 in Diabetes Care.

To identify individuals with T1D and their offspring, Jianguang Ji, M.D., Ph.D., from Lund University in Sweden, and colleagues used the Swedish National Hospital Discharge Register and Swedish Outpatient Register, which were linked to the Swedish Multi-Generation Register.

The researchers identified 15,615 individuals born after their parents were diagnosed with T1D. Offspring of T1D patients had a significantly increased risk of ADHD (hazard ratio [HR], 1.29), when controlling for confounding variables. While not statistically significant, maternal T1D was associated with an enhanced risk of ADHD (HR, 1.35) versus paternal T1D (HR, 1.20).

"In this retrospective cohort study, we found that a parental history of T1D was associated with a 29 percent increased risk of being diagnosed with ADHD," the authors write. "The underlying mechanisms need to be explored in future studies."