High serum B12 and folate linked to higher risk of autism .

Although studies clearly show that taking supps during pregnancy reduces autism (ASD) risk, and that low B12 in the womb and during breast feeding is very dangerous for a baby, a study published in May this year found high serum levels of folate and B12 also associated with higher risk of autism too.

A study led by Raghavan, (google her, autism, B12) found high serum folate associated with twice the risk, high B12 three times, and high both with 17 times the risk of ASD.

However the study did not ask mothers if they were taking supps, let alone why. It is possible that these levels were because mothers were aware of past b12 deficiency, I have not read the full study so I don't know if those being treated were excluded. Active b12 was not measured, so the research could suggest metabolic problems in these mothers, methylation problems which are well known in ASDs.

In other words, this may well not be cause and effect, but another indication that lack of B12 at cellular levels may cause ASD in a sub section.

Active B12 could be a useful test for our daughters who are contemplating pregnancy.

[fbirder]

Interesting.

The study I found - fasebj.org/content/30/1_Sup... - did include informnation on supplementation. And it found (Table 1) that almost every level of supplementation gave a small, though insignificant, protection against Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Which would seem to contradict the finding that high folate and B12 increases the risk of ASD because you'd expect those taking supplements to have higher levels of the two vitamins.

Another interesting observation (Table 2) is that low levels of B12 increased the risk of ASD even more than the, headlined, high levels of folate.

This study did test for MTHFR mutations and found no correlation with ASD.

Obviously more investigation is needed, especially with current recommendations that pregnant (or potentially pregnant) women should take folate supplements.

[Hidden in reply to fbirder]

Yes, a research study on active b12 amongst anxious asd sufferers would be very interesting. Not to say, a study testing for intrinsic factor etc amongst anxious adult ASDs, who might agree to blood takes, anxious autistic children are not good material for this!

Some studies have found MTHFR increased variations in ASD eg a study by Boris et al Assoc of Gene Variants in Autism" overall there was an increased risk, particularly on two variants.

[Gambit62 Administrator in reply to Hidden]

this may be of interest in relation to high levels of folic acid - however, it is about effects in mice rather than effects in humans

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/257...

[Hidden in reply to Gambit62]

Really interesting. Mice are primarily grain eating, aren't they, not as omnivore as humans, but still an indication that we should maybe test young women for folate levels before encouraging major supplementation. The lack of thorough testing for nutrients of women who are contemplating pregnancy for me reinforces the realisation of how male dominated medicine still is.

But I guess this is a money thing, the cost to the nhs would be too great. Anyone who can afford private blood tests can do it. And that's a high number. I taught once in a school with high numbers of refugee and poor immigrant children, they all had top of the range mobiles, way better than mine. It's partly about priorities. And it is also about understanding that private tests are now available.