Autism in children related to zinc deficiency during pregnancy

The exact cause of autism is still unknown, but researchers have linked this disease to genetic and environmental factors, including zinc deficiency.

It's not yet clear whether zinc deficiency actually contributes to autism, researchers from a new study published in Frontiers in Neuroscience Molecular defined a possible mechanism on how this could work.

Sally Kim, of Stanford University's School of Medicine, and her colleagues have demonstrated that zinc can shape the bonds between brain cells that form in early development through a complex molecular machinery controlled by genes related to autism.

Kim and his colleagues discovered that when a brain signal is transferred via these connections called synapses, zinc enters the target brain cells where it could bind to two proteins called SHANK2 and SHANK3, responsible for compositional changes. and the operation of adjacent signal receivers, called AMPARs. on the surface of the neuron at the synapse.

Because zinc shapes the properties of developing synapses through SHANK proteins, an early mineral deficiency could contribute to autism by altering the function of the synapse that allows brain cells to communicate with them. with each other.

"Given the zinc sensitivity of young neurons and its dependence on Shank2 and Shank3, genetic mutations and / or environmental damage during early development could alter synaptic maturation and circuit formation. in the etiology of ASD, "wrote the researchers in their study published November 9

It is. However, it is important to note that the results do not mean that doctors should start recommending to take zinc supplements to prevent autism.

"Currently, there are no controlled studies on the risk of autism with zinc supplementation in pregnant women or babies, so the jury is still absent," said the researcher. Craig Garner of the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, according to Newsweek. "But the experimental work on autism models also published in this Frontiers research topic is promising."

Taking too much zinc can also have an adverse effect on a person's health, such as reducing the amount of copper absorbed by the body. This can eventually lead to anemia and weakening of the bones.

A deficiency of zinc does not necessarily mean that there is a nutritional deficiency because it can have other causes such as absorption problems in the intestine.

Autism is an intellectual disability characterized by significant social, communication and behavioral problems. People with autism can interact, communicate, behave and learn differently from most people.

Figures from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that about one in every 59 children has an autism spectrum disorder.