Study says prenatal vitamin intake may reduce autism recurrence

A new study published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry has revealed that maternal intake of prenatal vitamins during pregnancy can significantly lower the risk of autism spectrum disorder.

By: Agencies | | Published: March 2, 2019 10:32 am

Younger siblings of children with autism are about 13 times more likely to develop the disorder than the general population. © Shutterstock

Maternal intake of prenatal vitamins, including folic acid, during pregnancy can significantly lower the risk of autism spectrum disorder, and lead to higher cognitive skills in younger siblings of children with the neurobehavioural condition, say researchers.

“We found that even though these families are at a likely greater risk for an autism diagnosis for a later sibling due to genetic heritability of ASD, taking prenatal vitamins during the critical early pregnancy period contributed to the reduction in autism risk in siblings by about half,” said Rebecca J. Schmidt, Assistant Professor at the varsity.

“So, in other words, this is about protection against recurrence of ASD in high-risk younger siblings of children with autism,” she added.

The study emphasizes the importance of taking prenatal vitamins, including folic acid which is known to reduce the risk for birth defects of a baby’s brain and spine.

Source: IANS

Published : March 2, 2019 10:32 am

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