Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 1, 2026

Concurrent Collection of Fetal Murine Brain and Serum to Assess Effects of Maternal Diet on Nutrition and Neurodevelopment in Neurofibromatosis Type 1
05:44

Concurrent Collection of Fetal Murine Brain and Serum to Assess Effects of Maternal Diet on Nutrition and Neurodevelopment in Neurofibromatosis Type 1

Published on: May 17, 2024

Prenatal vitamins, one-carbon metabolism gene variants, and risk for autism

Rebecca J Schmidt1, Robin L Hansen, Jaana Hartiala

  • 1Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Davis, CA, USA. rjschmidt@ucdavis.edu

Epidemiology (Cambridge, Mass.)
|May 26, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Maternal prenatal vitamin use around conception may lower autism risk, particularly for mothers and children with specific genetic factors. Further research is needed to confirm these findings.

Area of Science:

  • Neurodevelopmental disorders
  • Genetics and environment in autism
  • Nutritional epidemiology

Background:

  • The etiology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) remains largely unknown.
  • Maternal nutritional factors and their interactions with genetic predispositions are under-investigated in ASD.
  • Understanding these factors is crucial for identifying potential preventative strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between maternal prenatal vitamin intake and autism risk.
  • To explore potential gene-environment interactions between maternal nutritional status and genetic variants in the one-carbon metabolism pathway.
  • To identify specific genetic susceptibilities that may modify the effect of prenatal vitamins on autism risk.

Main Methods:

  • Population-based case-control study (CHARGE) involving families with children aged 24-60 months.
  • Retrospective data collection on maternal vitamin intake (periconceptional period).
  • Analysis of gene-environment interactions using functional genetic variants in one-carbon metabolism (e.g., MTHFR, COMT, CBS) in mothers and children.

Main Results:

  • Mothers of children with autism were less likely to report prenatal vitamin use before and during early pregnancy (OR=0.62).
  • Significant interactions indicated increased autism risk with no prenatal vitamin intake in mothers carrying specific MTHFR, CBS, or COMT genotypes, or in children with certain COMT genotypes.
  • Children with mothers possessing other one-carbon metabolism gene variants also showed increased risk when prenatal vitamin intake was not reported.

Conclusions:

  • Periconceptional prenatal vitamin supplementation may be a protective factor against autism.
  • The protective effect may be more pronounced in genetically susceptible mother-child pairs.
  • Further studies are recommended for replication and to elucidate underlying biological mechanisms.
Abstract

More Related Videos

Rapid Detection of Neurodevelopmental Phenotypes in Human Neural Precursor Cells (NPCs)10:47

Rapid Detection of Neurodevelopmental Phenotypes in Human Neural Precursor Cells (NPCs)

Published on: March 2, 2018

Modifying Levels of Maternal Dietary Folic Acid or Choline to Study the Impact of Deficiencies on Offspring Health Outcomes03:19

Modifying Levels of Maternal Dietary Folic Acid or Choline to Study the Impact of Deficiencies on Offspring Health Outcomes

Published on: June 28, 2024

Related Concept Videos

Pharmacogenetic Phenotypes: Alterations in Pharmacokinetics, Drug Targets and Biologic Milieu01:29

Pharmacogenetic Phenotypes: Alterations in Pharmacokinetics, Drug Targets and Biologic Milieu

Genetic variations significantly influence drug response through pharmacokinetics, receptor interactions, and biologic milieu modifications. Pharmacokinetic alterations impact drug metabolism and clearance, affecting efficacy and toxicity. Variants in drug-metabolizing enzymes, such as CYP2C9 and CYP2C19, alter drug activation and elimination. For example, CYP2C9 loss-of-function variants require lower warfarin doses to prevent excessive bleeding, while CYP2C19 variants reduce clopidogrel...
Human Genetics01:28

Human Genetics

Human genetics provides a profound framework for understanding the interplay between genetic predispositions and human psychology. At the heart of this discipline lies the study of how genes influence physical traits, behaviors, and susceptibility to diseases. Each person carries a unique genetic code that subtly or significantly shapes their psychological and behavioral landscape.
The complex relationship between genetics and psychology is observable through common biological components such...
Principles of Pharmacogenetics: Types of Genetic Variants01:27

Principles of Pharmacogenetics: Types of Genetic Variants

The human genome is over 99.9% identical between individuals, yet genetic differences exist at millions of bases. The human genome contains approximately 3 million variant positions per individual, many of which are heterozygous, contributing to genetic diversity and individual traits. Genetic variations include single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), insertions, deletions, and copy number variations (CNVs).SNPs, the most common variation, involve single-base changes in DNA. These can be...
Comparing Copy Number Variations and SNPs02:26

Comparing Copy Number Variations and SNPs

Sequencing of the human genome has opened up several best-kept secrets of the genome. Scientists have identified thousands of genome variations that exist within a population. These variations can be a single nucleotide or a larger chromosomal variation.
Copy number variations or CNVs are the structural variations that cover more than 1kb of DNA sequence. The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), on the other hand, is a single nucleotide change or a point mutation that is found in more than 1%...
Cancer Prevention02:59

Cancer Prevention

Several factors can increase the risk of cancer in an individual. About 50% of cancer cases can be prevented by adopting a healthy lifestyle, regular exercise, eating healthy, and following a modest cancer prevention diet. Epidemiological studies have consistently shown that populations with vegetable and fruit-rich diets have reduced the incidence of cancer. On the other hand, populations who have a diet rich in animal fat, red meat, junk food, or high calories are predisposed to cancer.
Some...
Inborn Errors of Metabolism01:20

Inborn Errors of Metabolism

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a protein metabolism disorder characterized by high blood levels of the amino acid phenylalanine. This results from a mutation in the gene responsible for phenylalanine hydroxylase, an enzyme that converts phenylalanine into tyrosine. When this enzyme is deficient, phenylalanine builds up in the blood, leading to symptoms such as vomiting, rashes, seizures, growth deficiency, and severe mental retardation. An early diagnosis and a diet restricting phenylalanine intake...