Influence of Maternal Body Mass Index During Early Pregnancy on Offspring Autism Risk: A Cohort Analysis from Sweden and Denmark - Takeaways - MDSpire

Influence of Maternal Body Mass Index During Early Pregnancy on Offspring Autism Risk: A Cohort Analysis from Sweden and Denmark

  • By

  • Matilda Morin

  • Weiyao Yin

  • Heidi MacLean

  • Bernie Devlin

  • Abraham Reichenberg

  • Shanna H. Swan

  • Joseph D. Buxbaum

  • Diana Schendel

  • Martina Persson

  • Thomas Munk Laursen

  • Alexander Kolevzon

  • Jakob Grove

  • Lambertus Klei

  • Kathryn Roeder

  • Sven Sandin

  • November 7, 2025

  • 0 min

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  • 1

    Elevated maternal body mass index (BMI) during early pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in offspring.

  • 2

    The study utilized national health registers from Sweden and Denmark, representing the largest cohorts analyzed for maternal BMI and ASD.

  • 3

    Maternal BMI was modeled as a continuous variable to capture the full association with ASD, addressing limitations of previous studies.

  • 4

    The analysis included potential confounders such as parental age, education, income, and psychiatric history to ensure robust results.

  • 5

    Findings suggest a dose-response relationship between maternal BMI and ASD risk, with implications for maternal health during pregnancy.

Original Source(s)

Influence of Maternal Body Mass Index During Early Pregnancy on Offspring Autism Risk: A Cohort Analysis from Sweden and Denmark

  • by Matilda Morin, Weiyao Yin, Heidi MacLean, Bernie Devlin, Abraham Reichenberg, Shanna H. Swan, Joseph D. Buxbaum, Diana Schendel, Martina Persson, Thomas Munk Laursen, Alexander Kolevzon, Jakob Grove, Lambertus Klei, Kathryn Roeder, Sven Sandin

  • November 7, 2025

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