Lead’s Effect on Autism Risk is Reduced by Folic Acid.

Summary: A study has shown that taking nitric acid while pregnant may lower the correlation between maternal heart lead levels and autistic-like actions in babies. Scientists found stronger connections between lead exposure and dementia qualities in cases of lower folic acid consumption by examining information from pregnant women and their child.

These harmful effects are reportedly lessened by enough folic acid consumption of 0.4 gram daily, but no additional advantages were observed with higher dosages. This finding corresponds to the recommendations for folic acid consumption to promote neurodevelopment and lessen possible climate risks.

Important Information:

• Ascorbic acid may lower the risk of dementia in pregnancy by reducing head exposure.
• In cases of lower folic acid consumption, stronger lead-autism organisations were observed.
• High levels of folic acid ( &gt, 1.0 mg/day ) did n’t show extra protective effects.

Origin: Simon Fraser University

A&nbsp, new research &nbsp, by Simon Fraser University scientists has found that iron may weaken the connection between blood-lead degrees in pregnant women and autistic-like habits in their children. &nbsp, &nbsp,

Experts from SFU’s Faculty of Health Sciences, led by PhD candidate Joshua Alampi, published the study in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. &nbsp, &nbsp,

” Folic acid supplementation during pregnancy has numerous advantages to child health, particularly head advancement”, says Alampi. Our research suggests that taking enough folic acid to get rid of lead’s harmful effects

The SFU-led research is the first to show that sufficient folic acid intake may lower the risk of gestational lead exposure and autism. It found that pregnant women who received less than 0.4 milligrams of folic acid per day were more likely to have an association between body guide levels and autistic-like behaviors in toddlers. &nbsp,

Folate and ascorbic acid, a synthetic form of the acid found in fortified foods, have long been recognized as useful nutrition during pregnancy. Foli use prevents neural tube problems and plays a crucial role in brain development.

Previous research has shown that when folic acid is low, the correlation between autism and exposure to pesticides, air pollutants, and phthalates ( chemicals commonly found in soft plastics ) during pregnancy is higher. &nbsp, &nbsp,

The team used data collected during 2008-2011 from 2, 000 Canadian women enrolled in the MIREC study ( Mother-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals ). The MIREC group polled individuals to determine their folic acid intake and measured blood lead levels collected during the first and third trimesters.

The Social Responsiveness Scale ( SRS ), a frequently used caregiver-reported tool that records autistic-like behaviors in toddlers, was used to assess children born in this cohort study at the ages of three or four. &nbsp, &nbsp,

However, the study also found that taking a high folic acid supplement ( &gt, 1 milligram per day ) did not appear to have any additional benefit for reducing lead exposure’s neurotoxic effects. &nbsp,

” The study’s finding aligns with Health Canada’s recommendation that all people who are female, lactating, or may become infertile, may take a regular multivitamin containing 0.4 milligrams of nitric acid” .&nbsp, &nbsp,

About this news about autism and neurodevelopment

Author: Jeff Hodson
Source: Simon Fraser University
Contact: Jeff Hodson – Simon Fraser University
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News

Original Research: Open access.
According to Joshua Alampi and others,” Combined Exposure to Folate and Lead During Pregnancy and Autistic-Like Behaviors among Canadian Children from the MIREC Pregnancy and Birth Cohort” is published online. Environmental Health Perspectives

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Abstract

Combined Exposure to Folate and Lead During Pregnancy and Autistic-Like Behaviors among Canadian Children from the MIREC Pregnancy and Birth Cohort

Background:

Folic acid ( FA ) supplementation may attenuate the connections between autism or autistic-like behaviors during gestational exposure, but lead has not been used to date.

Objectives:

We examined whether the relationship between gestational blood-lead levels ( BLLs ) and autistic-like behaviors was modified by gestational plasma total folate concentrations, FA supplementation, and maternal methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase ( MTHFR ) 677C&gt, T genotype.

Methods:

We used data from the Maternal– Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals study ( 2008–2011 ), a Canadian pregnancy and birth cohort study. Childhood autistic-like behaviors were documented in 601 children 3–4 y of age with the Social Responsiveness Scale-2 ( SRS-2 ), where higher scores denote more autistic-like behaviors. In the first and third trimesters of pregnancy, we measured BLL levels and plasma total folate levels.

We also estimated gestational FA supplementation via surveys and genotyped the maternal&nbsp, MTHFR&nbsp, 677C&gt, T single nucleotide polymorphism ( SNP ). We estimated the confounder-adjusted associations between&nbsp, log2-transformed BLLs and SRS-2 scores by two indicators of folate exposure and maternal&nbsp, MTHFR&nbsp, 677C&gt, T genotype using linear regression.

Results:

Third-trimester BLLs were associated with increased SRS-2 scores ]β 𝑎 ⁢ � � ⁢ � �=3.3, 95 % confidence interval ( CI): 1.1, 5.5] among participants with low ( &lt, 10⁢th&nbsp, percentile ), third-trimester, plasma total folate concentrations, but BLL-SRS-2 associations were null ( β𝑎 ⁢ � � ⁢ � � =−0.3, 95 % CI: &nbsp, −1.2, 0.5 ) among those in the middle category ( ≥10⁢th&nbsp, and&nbsp, &lt, 80⁢th&nbsp, percentiles ) (p-interaction&nbsp, &lt, 0.001 ). FA supplementation also attenuated these associations.

Both folate indicators modified first-trimester BLL-SRS-2 associations, but to a lesser extent. Third-trimester BLL-SRS-2 associations were slightly stronger among participants who were homozygous for the T ( minor ) allele of the&nbsp, MTHFR&nbsp, 677C&gt, T SNP ( β𝑎 ⁢ � � ⁢ � �=0.9, 95 % CI: &nbsp, −1.2, 3.1 ) than those without the T allele ( β𝑎 ⁢ � � ⁢ � � =−0.3, 95 % CI: &nbsp, −1.3, 0.7 ), but the difference was not statistically significant ( 𝑝-interaction=0.28 ).

Discussion:

Folate may alter the connections between childhood autistic-like behaviors and gestational lead exposure, suggesting that it lessens the neurotoxic effects of prenatal lead exposure.