AGXStarseed
Well-Known Member
(Not written by me)
QUESTIONS and doubts have been raised following a small-scale study which suggested a possible link between high levels of folic acid in a pregnant woman's blood at the time of childbirth and autism.
Women are advised by the NHS to take folic acid supplements when they are trying to get pregnant and until they are 12 weeks pregnant.
Many products flag up the fact they contain folic acid to help women trying to get pregnant include more of it in their diet.
A new study has suggested that very high levels of the vitamin in mothers' blood at the time of childbirth could be linked to a higher risk that their child would eventually develop autism.
The evidence has been described as extremely premature and the findings have not been peer-reviewed or published in a journal.
Dr Ciarán Humphreys, Director of Health Intelligence at Public Health Wales, has also said it is too early to draw conclusions about what the study results mean in practice, and that there is overwhelming international evidence of the health benefits of taking folic acid for a period before and during pregnancy.
One of the study's authors, M. Daniele Fallin of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, is reported in the Washington Post as saying there is no reason for anyone to stop taking folic acid, or disregard existing advice.
There is also other research which suggests that adequate amounts of the vitamin at the time of conception can significantly reduce the risk of autism.
Questions have also been asked about the latest study, with some pointing out that the findings are based on a small number of families seen at only one hospital and are preliminary.
Researchers followed 1,391 children born at Boston University Medical Center from 1998 through to 2013.
Around 100 of them were later diagnosed with an autism-spectrum disorder, so the researchers went back and looked at levels of folate and vitamin B12 in the blood of the children's mothers at the time of childbirth.
Sixteen of them were found to have very high levels of folate, and 15 had extremely high levels of vitamin B12.
The researchers concluded that if levels of both vitamins were extremely high, there was more than a 17-fold greater risk that a child would develop autism.
Why some mothers had such high levels of folic acid and vitamin B12 in their blood was unknown.
According to the NHS website, folic acid can help prevent certain birth defects including spina bifida.
It goes on to say: "You should take a 400 microgram folic acid tablet every day while you are trying to get pregnant and until you are 12 weeks pregnant.
"If you didn't take folic acid before you conceived, you should start as soon as you find out that you are pregnant.
"You should also eat foods that contain folate (the natural form of folic acid), such as green leafy vegetables and brown rice. Some breakfast cereals and some fat spreads such as margarine have folic acid added to them.
"It is difficult to get the amount of folate recommended for pregnancy from food alone, which is why it is important to take a folic acid supplement."
Commenting on the study, Dr Ciarán Humphreys, Director of Health Intelligence at Public Health Wales, said: "These preliminary findings are of interest, especially to the research community, but it is too early to draw conclusions about what they mean in practice.
"These findings have not been peer reviewed, are based on one study only, and need to be looked at in the context of overwhelming international evidence of the health benefits of taking folic acid when planning a pregnancy and for the first three months of pregnancy.
"Mothers-to-be can reduce their risk of serious complications in the early development of the growing fetus by taking folic acid before and during pregnancy. This particularly relates to neural tube defects like spina bifida. A healthy diet, regular exercise, avoiding tobacco, alcohol and drugs, and getting the rubella vaccine are all important too.
"Women who are thinking of having a baby should take 400 micrograms of folic acid every day, when planning a pregnancy and for the first 12 weeks of the pregnancy. Some women, those who have diabetes or epilepsy or are overweight, will need an increased dose of 5mg."
SOURCE: http://www.southwales-eveningpost.c...udy-findings/story-29283894-detail/story.html
QUESTIONS and doubts have been raised following a small-scale study which suggested a possible link between high levels of folic acid in a pregnant woman's blood at the time of childbirth and autism.
Women are advised by the NHS to take folic acid supplements when they are trying to get pregnant and until they are 12 weeks pregnant.
Many products flag up the fact they contain folic acid to help women trying to get pregnant include more of it in their diet.
A new study has suggested that very high levels of the vitamin in mothers' blood at the time of childbirth could be linked to a higher risk that their child would eventually develop autism.
The evidence has been described as extremely premature and the findings have not been peer-reviewed or published in a journal.
Dr Ciarán Humphreys, Director of Health Intelligence at Public Health Wales, has also said it is too early to draw conclusions about what the study results mean in practice, and that there is overwhelming international evidence of the health benefits of taking folic acid for a period before and during pregnancy.
One of the study's authors, M. Daniele Fallin of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, is reported in the Washington Post as saying there is no reason for anyone to stop taking folic acid, or disregard existing advice.
There is also other research which suggests that adequate amounts of the vitamin at the time of conception can significantly reduce the risk of autism.
Questions have also been asked about the latest study, with some pointing out that the findings are based on a small number of families seen at only one hospital and are preliminary.
Researchers followed 1,391 children born at Boston University Medical Center from 1998 through to 2013.
Around 100 of them were later diagnosed with an autism-spectrum disorder, so the researchers went back and looked at levels of folate and vitamin B12 in the blood of the children's mothers at the time of childbirth.
Sixteen of them were found to have very high levels of folate, and 15 had extremely high levels of vitamin B12.
The researchers concluded that if levels of both vitamins were extremely high, there was more than a 17-fold greater risk that a child would develop autism.
Why some mothers had such high levels of folic acid and vitamin B12 in their blood was unknown.
According to the NHS website, folic acid can help prevent certain birth defects including spina bifida.
It goes on to say: "You should take a 400 microgram folic acid tablet every day while you are trying to get pregnant and until you are 12 weeks pregnant.
"If you didn't take folic acid before you conceived, you should start as soon as you find out that you are pregnant.
"You should also eat foods that contain folate (the natural form of folic acid), such as green leafy vegetables and brown rice. Some breakfast cereals and some fat spreads such as margarine have folic acid added to them.
"It is difficult to get the amount of folate recommended for pregnancy from food alone, which is why it is important to take a folic acid supplement."
Commenting on the study, Dr Ciarán Humphreys, Director of Health Intelligence at Public Health Wales, said: "These preliminary findings are of interest, especially to the research community, but it is too early to draw conclusions about what they mean in practice.
"These findings have not been peer reviewed, are based on one study only, and need to be looked at in the context of overwhelming international evidence of the health benefits of taking folic acid when planning a pregnancy and for the first three months of pregnancy.
"Mothers-to-be can reduce their risk of serious complications in the early development of the growing fetus by taking folic acid before and during pregnancy. This particularly relates to neural tube defects like spina bifida. A healthy diet, regular exercise, avoiding tobacco, alcohol and drugs, and getting the rubella vaccine are all important too.
"Women who are thinking of having a baby should take 400 micrograms of folic acid every day, when planning a pregnancy and for the first 12 weeks of the pregnancy. Some women, those who have diabetes or epilepsy or are overweight, will need an increased dose of 5mg."
SOURCE: http://www.southwales-eveningpost.c...udy-findings/story-29283894-detail/story.html
