Maternal Folic Acid and Risk of Childhood Autism

J Gordon Millichap

doi:10.15844/pedneurbriefs-27-3-8

Abstract

Highlights

Researchers from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo; Institute of Child Health, London, UK; and other centers in Norway, UK, and the US examined the association between maternal use of prenatal folic acid supplements (4 weeks before to 8 weeks after start of pregnancy) and risk of autistic spectrum disorders in children derived from the population-based, prospective Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa)
It has been linked to a lower risk of severe language delay at age 3 years, a study conducted in Norway (Roth C, et al JAMA 2011 Oct 12;306(14):1566-73)
GESTATIONAL AGE AT BIRTH AND RISK OF AUTISM The association between gestational age (GA) at birth and the risk of autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) in 218,110 singleton live births between 1998 and 2004 in Alberta, Canada was studied at each completed week of gestation (GA23 weeks to 43 weeks, in 1-week increments)

Summary

Introduction

Researchers from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo; Institute of Child Health, London, UK; and other centers in Norway, UK, and the US examined the association between maternal use of prenatal folic acid supplements (4 weeks before to 8 weeks after start of pregnancy) and risk of autistic spectrum disorders in children derived from the population-based, prospective Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa). The age-range at end of follow-up was 3.3 – 10.2 years (mean, 6.4 years). At end of follow-up, a total of 270 children (0.32%) were diagnosed with ASDs: 114 autistic disorder, 56 Asperger syndrome, 100 PDD-NOS.

Results

Conclusion