Monday, September 22, 2014

Iron deficiency during pregnancy linked to increased autism risk

I forgot to include a link when I posted this. Likely from http://eurekalert.org/
There is an article about this at http://www.cbsnews.com/news/for-pregnant-women-iron-supplements-may-be-essential-to-reduce-autism-risk/


By Barbara Bronson Gray
Sept. 22, 2014

New research suggests that taking iron supplements as prescribed may play a role in reducing the risk of having a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

The researchers found that mothers of children with autism were significantly less likely to have taken iron supplements before and during pregnancy than those whose children seem to be developing normally.

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The study authors also discovered that mothers 35 years of age and older who had low iron intake had a five times greater risk of having a child with autism. Others at that higher level of risk were women with metabolic conditions, such as obesity, high blood pressure or diabetes.

For all participants, having a healthy amount of dietary and supplemental iron appeared to generally reduce the risk of autism, which is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social deficits, language impairments and repetitive behaviors.

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