#568: Does the Maternal Diet Impact Risk of ADHD & Autism? – David Horner, PhD

Jul 1, 2025

Dr. David Horner, a researcher in maternal nutrition from the University of Copenhagen, dives into the intriguing link between maternal diet and the risk of ADHD and autism in children. He explores how a Western-style dietary pattern during pregnancy may negatively impact neurodevelopment. The discussion highlights innovative research methods, including dietary assessments and metabolic markers. Horner underscores the importance of nutrition in prenatal development and raises questions about potential future studies, including the role of fish oil and genetics.

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INSIGHT

Western Diet Raises ADHD & Autism Odds

A Western dietary pattern in pregnancy raises the odds of ADHD by 66% and autism by 122% in children.
These associations remain after controlling for multiple confounders including maternal BMI and child diet.

INSIGHT

ADHD Link Validated; Autism Less So

The ADHD association with maternal Western diet was validated in multiple independent cohorts.
The autism link was not consistently validated, suggesting stronger evidence for ADHD specifically.

INSIGHT

Critical Window: Early Pregnancy

Early to mid pregnancy appears the critical window for diet's influence on ADHD risk.
Associations were stronger during pregnancy than based on postnatal child diet or later metabolomics.

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To what extent can maternal nutrition during pregnancy influence a child's later cognitive or behavioural development?

While genetic and environmental factors are known to contribute to neurodevelopmental outcomes such as ADHD and autism, growing attention is being paid to the potential role of prenatal exposures, including dietary patterns. Yet, evidence in this area remains limited, and causality is difficult to establish.

One recent study aimed to explore this question by analysing how maternal diet quality during pregnancy (specifically, adherence to a Western-style dietary pattern) related to neurodevelopmental outcomes in children assessed clinically at age 10.

In this episode, Dr. David Horner discusses the findings from this prospective cohort study, the use of metabolic markers to complement dietary data, and the implications for future research into modifiable prenatal risk factors.

About The Guest

Dr. David Horner is a researcher in maternal nutrition and cardiometabolic health, based at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. He is also a qualified medical doctor from Queen's University of Belfast.

His research is driven by a keen interest in modifiable determinants of health, aiming to better understand and improve health outcomes.

Having worked as a medical doctor for 2 years in the UK, in 2017 Dr. Horner then moved to Copenhagen, where he completed a Master's in Global Health and a PhD examining the impact of maternal dietary patterns during pregnancy on child health.

Timestamps

[02:47] Introduction to the study
[07:08] Strengths and findings of the study
[21:17] Genetic factors and gene-environment interactions
[25:42] Metabolomics and potential mechanisms
[30:12] Interpreting the study's findings
[38:03] Future research directions
[42:50] Key ideas segment (Sigma Nutrition Premium)

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Email: david.horner@dbac.dk
Study: Horner et al., 2025 – A western dietary pattern during pregnancy is associated with neurodevelopmental disorders in childhood and adolescence
David's LinkedIn post about the study (with discussion in the comments)