According to a new study, pregnant ladies who are diabetic and obese are more likely to give birth to children with autism. The study was reported in the journal Pediatrics.

Kids born to obese ladies with diabetes are 4 times as likely to be detected with autism spectrum disorder than kids born to healthy moms.

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Autism and autism spectrum disorder are terms for a group of disorders of development of brain. The disorders are characterized by problems in nonverbal communication, verbal communication and social interaction.

Autism spectrum disorder can be associated with physical health problems such as gastrointestinal and sleep disturbances, intellectual disability and difficulties in attention and motor coordination.

Dr. Xiaobin Wang, the author of the study, said that in terms of absolute risk, compared to pediatric diseases such as asthma and obesity, the rate of autism spectrum disorder in the U.S. population is comparatively low, but, the societal, family and personal impact of autism spectrum disorder is huge, Reuters reported.

In the study, the scientists examined more than 2,700 pairs of moms and kids at the Boston Medical Center from the years 1998 to 2014.

During the follow-up period, about 102 children were diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, whereas 137 children were discovered to have intellectual disabilities, Yahoo! News reported.

According to scientists, it is possible that the nutrients, hormones and inflammation linked to obesity and diabetes may cause the increased risk.

Elinor Sullivan, a researcher at the University of Portland, said that the levels of nutrients and inflammatory factors that the child will be exposed to will be further elevated if the lady is diabetic as well as obese before conceiving a baby.

According to Renee Gardner, a researcher at the Karolinska Institute in Solna, Sweden, said that it is good advice for ladies to get diabetes under control and achieve a healthy weight before becoming pregnant for several reasons not related to autism.

Gardner further said that the risks to the health of the mother and to the health of the child, including risk of still birth and serious pregnancy complications are greatly increased if the mom has uncontrolled diabetes or is obese.

Other studies suggest that obese ladies have less folate, a B-vitamin essential for human health and development.