What causes autism is still a mystery and a lot of research is going on. While the cause is still not known, researchers have found a few factors that may be related to autism. Apparently, folic acid, which is vitamin B9, has been found to decrease autism risk. This is a startling discovery and if it is true, pregnant women should rejoice and start taking folic acid supplements during pregnancy for sure. Claim Your 20 Free Pregnancy Tests – Click Here
Folic acid is responsible for the metabolism of protein and fat in the body. The natural form of vitamin B9 is folate and the synthetic form is folic acid. Folate is found in a variety of foods. Folic acid is very important because of a number of reasons. The main reason is that it has a significant role to play in the production of RNA and DNA in the body.
Additionally, lack of folic acid can give your baby serious brain complications because it ensures brain function. This vitamin is very important for a fetus because it aids the neural tube development. The neural tube later develops into the spinal cord and the brain.
If there is any problem with the development, the fetus will not have a properly developed nervous system. Deficiency of folic acid causes a number of neural tube defects including cleft palate, anencephaly, and spina bifida.
If you think you are not able to get enough of this vitamin, you should talk to your doctor.
Autism is actually short for autism spectrum disorders. There are a number of different disorders in this group. All these disorders are related to the nervous system development.
When children have autism, they have impaired social skills and they have a lot of problem with communication. Such children like being alone and avoiding social groups all together. They do not respond to people.
Autism may differ from person to person in terms of severity and symptoms. The disorder is diagnosed after a number of tests by the doctors, neurologists, and the psychologists. Doctors will then prescribe medications in order to control the disorder. The medications are given to treat various symptoms including anxiety.
A very recent study, revealed a couple of months ago, has stated that consuming adequate folic acid could actually decrease the risk of autism. The study suggests that the likelihood of autism is 40% less in children whose mothers took folic acid supplements during pregnancy.
The researchers suggest that the likelihood will be even lesser if you begin taking the supplements right from the time you plan to conceive. Take prenatal vitamins for sure, thus, and ensure that you are getting enough folic acid.
This study has brought good news to many women who worry about autism risks in their children. If you could take folic acid supplements through pregnancy and ensure proper health, you could protect your child from a lot of pain.
Having said that, don’t get too excited and consume too much of folic acid. You need to take only how much the doctor prescribes. Talk to your doctor and follow her guidelines.
Comments