While folate deficiency is bad for developing fetus, excessive amounts could also be harmful. The researchers found that if a new mother has a very high level of folate right after giving birth ie > 4X what is considered adequate – the risk that her child will develop an autism spectrum disorder doubles. Very high vitamin B12 levels in new moms are also potentially harmful, tripling the risk that her offspring will develop an autism spectrum disorder. If both levels are extremely high, the risk that a child develops the disorder increases 17.6X. Folate, a B vitamin, is found naturally in fruits and vegetables, while the synthetic version, folic acid, is used to fortify cereals and breads in the United States and in vitamin supplements.
Folate is essential in cell growth and promotes neurodevelopmental growth. Deficiencies early in pregnancy have been linked to birth defects and to an increased risk of developing an autism spectrum disorder. And despite this push to ensure women get adequate folate, some women still don’t get enough or their bodies aren’t properly absorbing it, leading to deficiencies. 1 in 4 women of reproductive age in the U.S. have insufficient folate levels. Levels are not routinely monitored during pregnancy/ 1 in 68 children in the U.S. have ASD, with boys 5X more likely than girls to have it. Research suggests the factors are a combination of genes and the environment.
For the study, researchers analyzed data from 1,391 mother-child pairs in the Boston Birth Cohort, a predominantly low-income minority population. The mothers were recruited at the time of their child’s birth between 1998 and 2013 and followed for several years, with the mother’s blood folate levels checked once within the first one to three days of delivery. 1 in 10 of the women had what is considered an excess amount of folate (more than 59 nMols) and 6% had an excess amount of vitamin B12 (>600 picomoles/ liter).
The World Health Organization says 13.5 – 45.3 nanomoles per liter is an adequate amount of folate for a woman in her first trimester of pregnancy. Unlike with folate, there are not well-established thresholds for adequate vitamin B12 levels.
A large majority of the mothers in the study reported having taken multivitamins – which would include folic acid and vitamin B12 – throughout pregnancy. But the researchers say they don’t know exactly why some of the women had such high levels in their blood. It could be that they consumed too many folic acid-fortified foods or took too many supplements. Or, they say, it could be that some women are genetically predisposed to absorbing greater quantities of folate or metabolizing it slower, leading to the excess. Or it could be a combination of the two.
More research is needed to determine just how much folic acid a woman should consume during pregnancy. With many vitamins, the conventional wisdom has been too much is not harmful, that the body will flush out the excess. That may not be the case with folic acid and vitamin B12. http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-05/jhub-tmf050916.php
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