Study: Folic acid could reduce risk of autism
Copyright 2010 The E.W. Scripps Co. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Posted: 02/14/2013
Taking folic acid before pregnancy, and through the first several weeks of pregnancy, may help reduce the risk of autism in children.
That's according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association .
Researchers in Norway looked at data from 85,000 pregnancies. They found women who took the supplement four weeks before pregnancy, and through the eighth week of pregnancy, were 39 percent less likely to have children with autism.
The study is the largest to date on the benefits of folic acid for autism prevention.
It marks one of the first tangible things a woman can do to reduce her risk of giving birth to a child with the disorder.
Some experts say more research needs to be done to confirm the link.
To read the full study, go to http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1570279 .
Copyright 2013 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
PRINT
Healthy Living
-
How to prevent workout injuries
As most of us become more active in the spring and summer we may run the risk of some common over-use injuries. Wellness expert Mary Beth Knight says there are a few self care techniques that we can employ on a regular basis that can eliminate the pain and prevent the pain from holding us back.
-
What do we eat? Food map will tell us
-
Machine-tenderized beef could pose risk
-
Jolie announces more surgeries ahead
-
Docs: Toddlers addicted to smartphones
-
Should you get BRCA test like Jolie?
-
Women have breast cancer surgery options
