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Taking Prenatal Vitamins in First Month of Pregnancy Can Reduce Autism Risk, Study Finds
Filed under: In The News, Pregnancy Health
Prenatal vitamins reduces chances of autism. Credit: Corbis
A new study found women who did not take their prenatal vitamins right before and during their pregnancies were twice as likely to have an autistic child, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Researchers at the University of California Davis also found that if women have certain high-risk gene mutations, their chances of giving birth a to child with autism is up to seven times more likely, according to the newspaper.
The study, to be published in July in the online edition of Epidemiology, found women who took their prenatal vitamins before getting pregnant or during the first month of pregnancy were half as likely to give birth to an autistic child, but moms who didn't start taking the pills until they were two months pregnant didn't receive any benefits when it came to warding off the developmental disorder, the Times reports.
What this means: If you don't know you're pregnant until you're a couple months in, prenatals aren't going to fight off autism, according to the newspaper.
As for gene mutations that have been linked to a higher risk of autism, the Times reports women who didn't take prenatals and had the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene had a four and a half times greater than normal risk of having a child with autism, and women with the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene had a seven times greater risk.
"The good news is that, if this finding is replicated, it will provide an inexpensive, relatively simple evidence-based action that women can take to reduce risks for their child, which is to take prenatal vitamins as early as possible in a pregnancy and even when planning for a pregnancy," epidemiologist Irva Hertz-Picciotto, senior author of the study, tells the Times.
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ReaderComments (Page 2 of 2)
5-26-2011 @ 4:57PM
jodee said...It is awful how taking vitamins is always stressed when just eating a healthy diet makes supplemental vitamins unnecessary.
Autism is not a problem in so many cultures which don't even know what a vitamin tablet is.
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5-26-2011 @ 5:02PM
jb said...Avoid the Rhogam, and childhood vaccines.
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5-28-2011 @ 3:18PM
rd4565 said...If this is the case, just taking prenatal vitamins, then where are all the autistics born in the 1950's - 1980's whose mothers didn't take vitamins? This study needed to include older generations before it was published.
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5-26-2011 @ 6:01PM
Dawn said...I do not believe any of this. I am RH (-) I have had 3 children, all girls, I never did take my pre natal vitamins correctly, had to take the Rhogram shots after each miscarriage/birth, vaccinated my children all the same, as directed by their Pediatrician, 2-4 shots per vaccine period all at the recommended months. Non of mine are autistic, I feel this information is skewed. They do not know what causes this, so what makes them think they can reduce the risk of it?
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5-26-2011 @ 6:11PM
fcr0919 said...Too much iron or other vitamin within the vitamin? You might have discovered the cause of Autism. Maybe it is the levels in the prenatal. The dosages of certain elements are higher in prenatals, especially iron. Makes you say hmmmmm!
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5-26-2011 @ 6:56PM
Bonnie said...Let's throw more guilt at these mothers.. I don't believe this for a minute.
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5-26-2011 @ 6:54PM
Gary Wilkes said...The way to cut the risk is to cut federal spending for "autism spectrum" - that's why the growth rate is climbing. Since there is no clinical diagnosis, federal money is now available for anything that remotely looks like autism - including simply being wierd. Real autism is impossible to track any more because of this. To date - they do not know what causes autism. They do not know how to cure it. They do not know how to treat it. They only know how to get grant money to study it. THAT is a booming business.
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5-26-2011 @ 7:05PM
MARILYN said...We are starting a new division to our weight vest co as per demand for vests for autistic children.
The autistic vest helps calm and make autistic children feel more secure and help them focus for better learning skills.
Verylow very nicely made products see :
www.weightedvestforautisticchildren.com
vest looks like clothing also see other products
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5-26-2011 @ 8:36PM
imcultec said...One way to limit or stop autism is to stop vaccinating your children.
Evidence more than suggests a direct correlation between vaccines and autism and other dibiliating illnesses. Many life long.
Know whats in them!.. Just recently, that most MDs aren't aware of, that has been stated by most knowledgable research MDs in their fields, state approx 90% of North American population have Mycoplasmas in their blood and 80% of Cancer victims, as well.
How did they get into us? The evidence suggests, thru filters in the vaccine making process. Evidences point to the Mycoplasmas as being a casual affect to immuno-deficiency syndrome disease...ie. lupus, MS, CFS, GBarr Syndrome, Parkinsons, and many more.
This is very recent findings and not known by the public, sorry to say. I suggest parents and others start looking under the Rx cartels and Vaccine manufacturers carpets because, that's were you'll find their dirt...and our kids and adults are suffering for it. Read the evidences. Read the history. Its your call.
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5-26-2011 @ 7:33PM
Linda said...From the LA Times: Epidemiologist Rebecca J. Schmidt of the UC Davis MIND Institute and her colleagues studied about 700 Northern California families with 2- to 5-year-old children with autism who were participants in the Childhood Autism Risk from Genetics and the Environment study from January 2003 to December 2009. Frankly, I respect such numbers over anecdotal evidence. Apparently, it is the first month of gestation that is the most important here.
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5-26-2011 @ 7:40PM
Shirley said...I have 19 year old triplets. Took prenatal vitamins few years before pregnant and while pregnant. One of the triplets is Autistic. So much for this theory.
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5-26-2011 @ 7:52PM
weirderandweirder said...I know that we do NOT know what exactly causes autism and other like type sypmtomatic diseases or whatever they are classified as... but... I do know that my mother slapped me every time I exhibited a behavior (tics and such) and I have to say, she cured me. Now, I don't think any scientist would take up such a study... could possibly use electric shock as the deterrent instead of an open handed slap across the face... I had forgotten all about it until seeing James Durbin's tics and such on American Idol. I reeled with the memories of having some of the exact same movements with my mouth and face... another constant motion ... how to describe... was like forcing my elbows back in a series of motions... she'd smack me on the back when she saw me do it...
abuse? certainly... was it was much more common back then... kids got the belt or whatever was handy...
so... perhaps its a symptom of more leniency on the part of parents? Goes hand in hand with not teaching your child "NO", respect for others, and responsibility for your choices.
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5-26-2011 @ 7:57PM
T. Burniston said...Pre-natal vitamins are beneficial but the lack of them does NOT cause autism. It's the toxic vaccines they're poking into our kids. For centuries man has survived without vaccines and how many kids were autistic??? Do your research, folks. This is a huge cover up!!!
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5-26-2011 @ 8:04PM
FEHL said...Yes, increasing diagnostics uncovers more autistic people. Given the way food is grown and marketed a good diet is not easy to come by. Also there is bias according to nationality as to what consitutes a good diet. MANY people lack good levels of Vit D. I'm SURE many do not get enough vitamins and minerals, generally. Also, some people NEED more of certain nutrients due to their genetic makeup and digestive system. EVERYONE is an individual as is proven by not being able to take organs and grafts from just anyone AND even with the best compatability immuno suppressive drugs must be taken in order for the organ not to be rejected.
too MANY OF YOU HAVE limited KNOWLEDGE and form OPINIONS which are NOT based on facts : that is what opinions are: STATEMENTS not BASED ON FACTS. PLUS no one knows it all.
EVERYONE can learn more. The answers are not fully known yet. Keep an open mind.
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5-26-2011 @ 8:59PM
arterrainc said...I am convinced Autism is due to the accumulation of neuro-toxic pesticides that the huge chemical companies have been telling us for years are 'perfectly safe'. Yeah, right! These synthetic poisons bio-accumulate up the food chain and since they aren't natural, are in our bodies like plastic in the landfill - they never go away. Greenbug offers safe pest control made with cedar - like cedar chests and closets where there are no pests. My cousin found it online and shared it with us. My autistic son can now play outside pest free without worry.
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5-27-2011 @ 5:19PM
Mandy said...You people can blame vaccinations all you want. The truth of the matter is.... The reason you are seeing such an increase in the rise of autism is... We live in a sue happy world, and if the doctor misses the diagnosis, the parents are going to sue!!!! Autism has such a huge umbrella to fall under, and can be diagnosed as early as 2, that doctors these days are too afraid not to say it!
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5-30-2011 @ 4:43PM
Brad Sanders said...There is a good comparison chart for prescription prenatal vitamins at www.dhaone.com
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6-03-2011 @ 5:15AM
Melissa Sanders said...A good source of viamin information and how each particular vitamin affects pregnancy is www.dhaone.com. There is also a comparison chart comparing all of the leading prescription prenatal vitamins.
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