Table 1.
Summary of human research demonstrating that maternal obesity increases the risk for mental health disorders.
| Child outcome | Maternal factor | References | Study design |
|---|---|---|---|
 ADHD symptomology/Risk |
Pre-pregnancy BMI |
Rodriguez et al., 2008 | Cohort |
| Rodriguez, 2010 | Cohort | ||
| Chen et al., 2014 | Cohort | ||
| Buss et al., 2012 | Cohort | ||
|
GWG |
Rodriguez et al., 2008 | Cohort | |
| Gestational diabetes & SES | Nomura et al., 2012 | Cohort | |
| Schmitt and Romanos, 2012 | Survey; Cohort | ||
 Dietary intake of omega-3 fatty acids |
Field, 2014 | Case-control | |
|
ASD risk/Severity of symptoms |
Pre-pregnancy BMI |
Krakowiak et al., 2012 | Case-control |
| Reynolds et al., 2014 | Cohort | ||
| Moss and Chugani, 2014 | Cohort | ||
| Dodds et al., 2011 | Cohort | ||
| Bilder et al., 2013 | Case-control; Cohort | ||
|
GWG |
Dodds et al., 2011 | Cohort | |
| Bilder et al., 2013 | Case-control; Cohort | ||
| Diabetes, hypertension, or pre-eclampsia | Krakowiak et al., 2012 | Case-control | |
| Dodds et al., 2011 | Cohort | ||
| Lyall et al., 2012 | Cohort | ||
| Wallace et al., 2008 | Cohort | ||
|
Anxiety/depression risk |
Pre-pregnancy BMI |
Rodriguez, 2010 | Cohort |
| Van Lieshout et al., 2013 | Cohort | ||
| Colman et al., 2012 | Cohort | ||
|
Schizophrenia risk |
Pre-pregnancy BMI |
Jones et al., 1998 | Cohort |
| Schaefer et al., 2000 | Cohort | ||
|
GWG |
Kawai et al., 2004 | Case-control | |
| Pre-eclampsia/hypertension and diuretic treatment | Dalman et al., 1999 | Cohort | |
| Eide et al., 2013 | Cohort | ||
| Sorensen et al., 2003 | Cohort | ||
|
Food addiction |
BMI 5 months post-delivery |
Rising and Lifshitz, 2005 | Cohort |
|
Intake of sweets during pregnancy |
Brekke et al., 2007 | Cohort | |
|
Anorexia nervosa/Bulimia nervosa risk |
BMI 6 months post-delivery Disordered eating |
Stice et al., 1999 | Cohort |
|
Intake of sweets during pregnancy |
Lamerz et al., 2005 | Survey | |
|
Risk of cognitive impairments |
Pre-pregnancy BMI |
Hinkle et al., 2012 | Cohort |
| Tanda et al., 2013 | Survey; Cohort | ||
| Neggers et al., 2003 | Survey | ||
| Heikura et al., 2008 | Cohort | ||
| Brion et al., 2011 | Cohort | ||
| Craig et al., 2013 | Case-control |
Abbreviations: ADHD, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; ASD, autism spectrum disorder; BMI, body mass index; GWG, gestational weight gain; SES, socioeconomic status.