Gestational diabetes is linked with a higher risk of autism. Recent studies have found that women who suffer with diabetes while pregnant are more likely to have a child with autism. The link between the two conditions appears to be insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is also known as syndrome X and metabolic syndrome. It occurs most commonly in women who are overweight (particularly in the torso) and women with polycystic ovarian syndrome. The hormone insulin is secreted by the pancreas and is supposed to get sugar (glucose) in the bloodstream into the cells of your body, where it can be used for energy. In some people, insulin is not as effective as it should be; therefore the pancreas secretes higher and higher levels of this hormone. As insulin becomes less effective, it loses the ability to tightly control blood sugar. Hence elevated blood sugar and diabetes can develop. Gestational diabetes is becoming increasingly prevalent for several reasons. Apart from being overweight, you are also more likely to develop gestational diabetes if you are pregnant at an older age (over 35 years old). More and more women are having children at an older age in recent years. The study linking gestational diabetes with autism was published in the journal Frontiers in Cellular Endocrinology. According to author and professor of biochemistry Michael Stern, "It appears that both Type 2 diabetes and autism have a common underlying mechanism -- impaired glucose tolerance and hyperinsulinemia,". Professor Stern also stated that glucose tolerance should be addressed more seriously by clinicians than it currently is. I couldn’t agree more. All forms of diabetes are serious conditions with the potential to cause great harm to not only your own body, but a developing fetus as well.   Reference