Reduce Risk of Autism with Prenatal Vitamins

We know that the cause of autism is not known exactly until now, however we can reduce the risk of autism during pregnancy. Consuming prenatal vitamins before pregnancy reduces the risk of babies suffering from autism. To reduce the risk of autism, it is advisable to consume prenatal vitamins three months before conception and the month later

Research published on Epidemiology journal also mentioned that prenatal vitamins have a higher protective effect to infants and mothers who have a certain genetic risk. Research conducted on three groups of children aged 2-5 years, which consisted of 288 children with autism, 141 children with autism spectrum disorders, and 278 children with typical growth. Mothers of the children reported taking prenatal vitamins before, during and after pregnancy. Blood samples then collected by researchers from all family members to evaluate the genetic composition.

The focus of the researchers are the specific genes that are known to play a major role in the folate metabolism. As is known folate and other B vitamins are very important for brain development. Those who have a specific gene is at greater risk of suffering from autism.

Generally, it was 60 percent higher risk for having a child with autism when the mothers not consume prenatal vitamins during pregnancy. The risk increases if the mother or child has a high-risk genes. However, the results of this study did not disclose the mechanism of protection provided by prenatal vitamins in autism.