Pregnant women who have higher intake of folic acid may have increased chances of producing children with autism. A new study suggests that high levels of folic acid in the blood of pregnant women are linked to an increased chance of having children with autism. The same goes for another crucial vitamin that pregnant women commonly take.

Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health revealed that high folic acid intake may not be so ideal for pregnant women. They found that pregnant women with high levels of folic acid levels in the blood produce children who will subsequently be diagnosed with autism. The same goes for vitamin B12 levels. If folic acid and vitamin B12 levels are high, the chances of pregnant women giving birth to children with autism increases to more than 17 percent, Science Daily noted.


In their research, researchers looked at more than a thousand pairs of mother and children in Boston. The folic acid and vitamin B12 levels of pregnant women were measured via a blood test and researchers once again measured it within three days of giving birth, Live Science reported. The findings will soon be presented at the 2016 International Meeting for Research in Baltimore, Mayland this week.

It is not known why excess levels of folic acid and vitamin B12 are linked to child autism. Researchers say that it may be because the women in the study absorb these vitamins differently. It could also be that they take too much of these vitamins as folic acid is readily present in prenatal supplements and other foods including green leafy vegetables and some fruits. The researchers say that they need to investigate further why the effects of higher intake of folic acid and vitamin B12 in pregnant women is linked to increased autism in their offsprings.

Tags Autism, Pregnancy