Association between hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in the offspring: a systematic review and meta-analysis

We reviewed the association between hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) and the risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children.

We searched the databases of PubMed, Embase, ScienceDirect, CENTRAL, and Google Scholar for studies.

Twelve studies were included. Meta-analysis demonstrated that history of HDP results in a statistically significant increased risk of ADHD. Subgroup analysis of cohort and case-control studies also yielded similar results. Pre-eclampsia and chronic hypertension were associated with a statistically significant increased risk of ADHD in the offspring but not pregnancy-induced hypertension.            

Exposure to HDP significantly increases the risk of ADHD in the offspring.