Is Folic Acid True Against Autism?
'26.01.2018'
Source: Health
Another reason to seriously take vitamins for pregnant women: a sufficient amount of folic acid reduces the risk of developing an autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) in a child, writes magazine "Health".
The latest study from the Journal of the American Medical Association of Psychiatrists has shown that there is a link between taking vitamins with folic acid and the likelihood of developing ASD in children.
The relationship between folic acid and the brain
This study observed 45 000 Israeli children born between 2003 and 2007 for years up to 2015. During the observation period, 572 children were diagnosed with autism. After analyzing the data on which mothers took folic acid during pregnancy, the researchers found that mothers who took her mother had a lower risk of having a child with ASD by 73%. Taking folic acid before conception also reduced this risk.
Until now, the relationship between autism and folic acid was unclear. “But our results show a clear correlation,” says Stephen Levin, a professor at Haifa University and the author of the study. Doctors already knew that folic acid affects the development of a child’s brain, and its deficiency can lead to congenital disorders of the brain and spinal cord.
"Although the exact mechanism of the effect of folate on the risk of developing autism is not yet clear to us, it is clear that this effect exists."
“Over 25 years of observation, we know that taking folic acid during pregnancy significantly reduces the risk of having a baby with congenital anomalies and a split spine,” said Mary Jane Minkin, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Yale University.
Of course, the development of ASD can be influenced by a whole range of other factors, so the authors of the study do not recommend making hasty conclusions about a causal relationship.
Do not blame moms
This study cannot be used as an argument for blaming mothers who have children with autism, that they did something wrong before or during pregnancy.
“In no case should the mother be blamed for this violation,” says Dr. Levin. “Autism has a large set of genetic and external factors, so a child with autism can be born even to a mother who diligently took all the necessary supplements.”
However, this study once again underlines the need to take folic acid during pregnancy or even before it. “Women often do not know that they are pregnant before the first menstruation, and during this period the embryo goes through important stages of development. Therefore, gynecologists recommend all women seeking to become pregnant, take vitamin complexes for pregnant women before the discovery of two strips on the test, ”adds Dr. Minkin. And given that about half of all pregnancies are unplanned, it is worth taking vitamins with folic acid, even if you do not plan to become pregnant, but are in the childbearing age.
