Supplements could halve chance of autism in children

Taking multivitamins in early pregnancy may reduce the risk of children developing autism, research suggests.

Experts found that children whose mothers had taken the vitamins were around half as likely to develop autism as those whose mothers took none.

But the team cautioned that although they had found a possible association, more research was needed.

Experts from universities and hospitals in Philadelphia, Stockholm and Bristol, examined data for 273,107 mothers and their children living in Stockholm.

Taking multivitamins in early pregnancy may reduce the risk of children developing autism, research suggests

All the children were born between 1996 and 2007, and their mothers’ use of folic acid, iron, and multivitamin supplements were recorded at their first antenatal visit.

Cases of autism spectrum disorder were also identified in national registers.

After adjusting for factors that might influence the findings, experts found that women who took multivitamins, with or without additional iron or folic acid, had a lower chance of their child developing autism with intellectual disability compared to mothers who took none.

When iron and folic acid were looked at alone, there was no consistent evidence that their use was associated with a reduced risk of autism, the research in the British Medical Journal said.

Experts from universities and hospitals in Philadelphia, Stockholm and Bristol, examined data for 273,107 mothers and their children living in Stockholm

Experts from universities and hospitals in Philadelphia, Stockholm and Bristol, examined data for 273,107 mothers and their children living in Stockholm

NHS guidelines say a healthy diet should give women most of the vitamins and minerals they need in pregnancy.

But women should also take 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid every day for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy and 10 micrograms (mcg) of vitamin D a day, they say.

More than one in 100 people are on the autism spectrum, including an estimated 700,000 people in the UK.

There are many different characteristics that make up autism, but people may be under or oversensitive to sounds, touch, tastes, smells, light and colours.

They may also find social situations challenging and experience ‘meltdowns’ when anxious. 

 

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