| Background: Abnormal gestational weight gain (GWG) is a prenatal complication that may contribute to long-term
behavioral and neurodevelopmental differences in offspring. This systematic review summarizes research on the
association between maternal GWG and risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in offspring.
Methods: Google and electronic databases, including PubMed, SCOPUS, Embase, Cochrane Library and Google
Scholar, were searched for original human studies published in English through June 2020. Articles that examined
the association between GWG and risk of ASD in offspring were included. Duplicate and irrelevant studies were
removed; and data were obtained through critical analysis.
Results: Of 96 articles searched, eight studies were included in the final review. All studies (n = 7) investigating the
association of maternal excessive GWG with risk of ASD in offspring indicated that high GWG was independently
associated with an increased risk of ASD. Of five studies investigating the association of inadequate GWG with the
risk of ASD, four indicated that low GWG was not associated with an increased risk of ASD. Of seven studies
examining the association of maternal pre-pregnancy BMI or weight with the risk of ASD, five reported that
maternal pre-pregnancy BMI or weight did not appear to be independently associated with risk of ASD. The GWGASD association is independent of maternal BMI and child’s intellectual disability, but offspring’s genetic
susceptibility connection to the GWG-ASD association remains a topic of debate.
Conclusions: The findings suggest that maternal excessive GWG may be associated with increased risk of ASD in
offspring. However, insufficient GWG does not appear to have such association. |