Saturday, February 16, 2013

Folic Acid May Decrease Autism Risk

A new paper has come out in The Journal of the American Medical Association that shows an association with taking a prenatal folic acid supplement with a decreased risk of autism in the newborn child. The study looked at 85,176 women who had babies between 2002-2008 who took folic acid from 4 weeks before conception through 8 weeks after conception.

This does not mean that a lack of folic acid causes autism, just that they are associated.


Similar studies looked at other benefits of taking folic acid, including lower risk of severe language delay at age 3, lower risk of autism spectral disorder (ASD) and other neurodevelopmental disorders. When considering having a baby, start taking a folic acid supplement at least 1 month before conception. Even if you get folic acid from other sources, it is better to take the supplement, just in case.

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