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Updated: Jun 21, 2025

Author Spotlight: Studying the Impact of Maternal Dietary Deficiencies on Long-Term Offspring Health Outcomes

Author Spotlight: Studying the Impact of Maternal Dietary Deficiencies on Long-Term Offspring Health Outcomes

Published on: June 28, 2024

Folic acid and autism: updated evidences.

Cristiane Vasconcelos¹, Ingrid Schweigert Perry², Carmem Gottfried^3,4,5,6

¹Postgraduate Program in Child and Adolescent Health, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil.

Nutritional Neuroscience

|July 5, 2024

Summary

This study confirms that individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have insufficient folic acid intake. However, maternal folic acid exposure was not linked to ASD risk, and intervention benefits varied.

Keywords:

Autism spectrum disorder Autistic disorder adolescent child folic acid neurodevelopment vitamin B12 vitamin B6 vitamins

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Rapid Detection of Neurodevelopmental Phenotypes in Human Neural Precursor Cells NPCs

Rapid Detection of Neurodevelopmental Phenotypes in Human Neural Precursor Cells NPCs

Published on: March 2, 2018

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Nutritional Psychiatry
Developmental Pediatrics

Background:

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition impacting communication, socialization, and behavior.
Folic acid is vital for neurological health, prompting investigation into its association with ASD.
This study updates previous reviews on folic acid and ASD, synthesizing current research.

Purpose of the Study:

To systematically review existing literature on the relationship between folic acid and ASD.
To update the understanding of folic acid's role in ASD based on recent studies.
To evaluate the impact of folic acid intake, serum levels, and interventions in individuals with ASD.

Main Methods:

A systematic literature search identified 2,389 studies on folic acid and ASD.
Two reviewers selected studies based on titles and abstracts; eligible studies were read in full.
Fifty-two studies involving 10,429 individuals with ASD were included, analyzing vitamin levels, homocysteine, methionine, interventions, and maternal exposure.

Main Results:

Consistent evidence indicates insufficient folic acid intake in the majority of individuals with ASD.
No association was found between maternal folic acid exposure during pregnancy and the risk of ASD in offspring.
Folic acid interventions showed improvements in communication, socialization, and behavior in some individuals with ASD, but results were variable.

Conclusions:

The consistent finding of insufficient folic acid intake in individuals with ASD underscores the need for further nutritional assessment.
Maternal folic acid supplementation does not appear to be a risk factor for ASD.
While folic acid interventions show promise, the heterogeneity of ASD necessitates personalized approaches and further rigorous research.