Folic acid in pregnancy linked with reduced autism risk

摘要

A new study has linked folic acid supplements in pregnancy with a 39% lower risk of autistic disorder in the offspring but experts have urged caution in interpreting the results. Doctors have long recommended that women aiming to fall pregnant take folic acid supplements before they conceive and during pregnancy because they lower the risk of neural tube defects like spina bifida. However, a new Norwegian study of 85,176 children published in the journal JAMA found that maternal consumption of folicacid from four weeks before to eight weeks after conception was linked with a lower risk of the child developing autistic disorder. Autism spectrum disorders include autistic disorder, Asperger syndrome and pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwisespecified (PDD-NOS). The researchers analyzed data from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study, tracking children born between 2002 and 2008.