Talk about a prenatal power move.
About 1 in 36 US children has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, a complex group of developmental conditions characterized by repetitive behaviors and difficulties with social interactions.
But a groundbreaking umbrella review has found that a simple, affordable habit during pregnancy could drastically reduce the likelihood that your child will be affected.
There is no single known cause of ASD. Evidence suggests that genetic and environmental factors, such as prenatal maternal nutrition, may contribute to the risk of developing ASD.
But researchers have found that mothers taking prenatal folic acid and multivitamin supplements can lower the risk in their children by up to 30%.
In terms of supporting prenatal maternal nutrition, folic acid and multivitamin supplements are among the most effective and accessible interventions available to pregnant women.
Folic acid is a synthetic form of folate, a B vitamin found naturally in foods like leafy greens, eggs, broccoli, and citrus fruits. While essential for everyone, it’s especially critical for women who are pregnant or trying to conceive.
Studies show that folic acid supplements taken before pregnancy and during the first trimester can significantly lower the risk of severe birth defects affecting the brain and spinal cord, while also improving the overall health of both mother and baby.
Research published earlier this year suggests that taking folic acid early in pregnancy can significantly boost a child’s verbal and behavioral skills by the time they turn 6 years old.
Folic acid supports the processes that shape neurodevelopment. At the same time, multivitamin supplements provide vitamin B12, vitamin D, iodine, and other micronutrients that bolster immunity, manage inflammatory response and aid amino acid metabolism. This combined influence, experts say, may lower ASD risk.
However, previous reviews have found conflicting results about prenatal folate and/or multivitamin supplementation and ASD risk; some have found a lower risk, while others have reported no association.
These discrepancies led researchers in this latest report to conduct an umbrella review encompassing both systematic reviews and meta-analyses, covering 101 primary studies and over 3 million participants.
Combined analysis indicated that maternal prenatal folic acid and/or multivitamin supplementation was associated with a 30% reduced risk of ASD in children.
Folic acid alone was associated with a 30% reduction in ASD risk, while prenatal multivitamin supplementation was associated with a 34% reduction in ASD risk.
Review authors maintain that the association is strong enough to recommend folic acid and multivitamin supplementation before conception and throughout the early stages of pregnancy.
Currently, the recommended daily dose for most pregnant women is 0.4 milligrams, though some moms-to-be, like those with epilepsy, might be prescribed higher amounts.
However, not all research about folate supplementation has been glowing.
Some previous studies have found that too much folic acid during pregnancy could have harmful effects, potentially raising the risk of insulin resistance and stunted brain development.
Though folic acid appears most beneficial before and during the first three months of pregnancy, other research suggests it might also offer hope to children with autism after birth.
In one jaw-dropping case, a 3-year-old with nonverbal autism spoke his first words just three days after being given leucovorin, a cheap generic drug derived from folic acid that’s often prescribed to cancer patients to counteract chemotherapy’s side effects.
The benefit may stem from the fact that many children with autism have low folate levels in their brains, a condition known as cerebral folate deficiency. Other studies suggest a significant number of children with autism have antibodies that interfere with folate transport into the brain.
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