Prenatal vitamins reduce the risk of autism in children

Tomorrow – A recent study found that taking prenatal vitamins during pregnancy can reduce the risk of autism.

Previous studies suggest that women with children with developmental disabilities are at greater risk of having children and are diagnosed with the same condition.

But the researchers found that mothers who took prenatal vitamins during the first month of pregnancy had a one in two chance of being autistic.

The team at the University of California at Davis says their findings are the first to show that it is possible to prevent genetic susceptibility to autism by taking prenatal vitamins.

Developmental disorders are one of three autism spectrum disorder (ASD) cases: children with autism are nearly five times more likely than women to be diagnosed with autism.

People with autism often have problems with social and emotional skills and communication, sometimes repeat certain behaviors and may not want to change their daily activities.

The researchers studied more than 240 autistic children and gave birth to their new children between 2006 and 2015, and their autism was tested before their third birthday.

The results revealed that 96% of women took prenatal vitamins during pregnancy and 36% started taking them during the recommended period, 6 months before pregnancy.

Prenatal vitamins are known as complementary vitamins and minerals to be taken before, during and after delivery during the lactation phase. They contain high concentrations of vitamins and minerals such as folic acid, calcium and iron.

The prevalence of autism in mothers taking prenatal vitamins during the first month of pregnancy was about 14%.

The number of autistic children doubled among mothers who did not receive the necessary vitamins during the first month of pregnancy, or about 33%.

Although this difference is not certain that prenatal vitamins help reduce the risk of autism, researchers believe that the nutrients contained in supplements, such as folate and iron, may play an effective role.

The researchers also point out that the study did not examine whether one type of vitamin was better than the other to reduce the risk of autism.