Table of contents:
- What is folate?
- Too much folate is thought to trigger autism
- However, folate deficiency can also trigger autism
- How can you get enough folate?
Folate is one of the nutrients that must be fulfilled by pregnant women. Even before pregnancy, women have been advised to increase their intake of folate. Folate is an essential nutrient for fetal growth and development, especially brain development, in early pregnancy. Folate deficiency in early pregnancy can increase the risk of birth defects.
What is folate?
Folate or vitamin B9 can be found in vegetables and fruits, such as spinach, asparagus, broccoli, oranges, avocados, papayas, bananas, nuts, dairy products, meat, chicken, eggs and fish. Flour has also been fortified with folic acid (a synthetic form of folate). Before becoming pregnant, women are recommended to consume 400 mcg of folate per day.
Cells in the body of pregnant women and fetuses develop rapidly so that adequate intake of folate is needed to help these cells work. Folate is needed by pregnant women to help the early development of the fetus, namely in the early growth of the brain and spinal cord. In addition, folate is also needed to prevent anemia in pregnant women. Folate deficiency in pregnant women can cause birth defects, such as neural tube defect (NTD), cleft lip, cleft palate of babies, and other developmental disorders.
Apart from the diseases mentioned above, folate is also linked to autism in children who are born.
Too much folate is thought to trigger autism
Folate has an important role in fetal growth and development. However, excess folate also has a negative impact on the health of the fetus. Research shows that consuming too much folate is said to trigger autism in children.
Research from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health indicates that if the mother has very high folate levels (4 times the recommended amount) right after delivery, this doubles her risk for her child to suffer autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism. Autism is a disorder of brain development that can cause difficulties in social interactions, verbal and nonverbal communication, and repetitive (repetitive) behavior. ASD is associated with intellectual disabilities, difficulty with motor coordination and attention, as well as physical health problems, such as sleep disorders and indigestion.
Based on this study it was also found that very high levels of vitamin B12 in the mother right after delivery also had a threefold risk of developing ASD in the child. If the level of folate and vitamin B12 is found to be very high in the mother, then the risk of her child suffering from ASD increases to 17.6 times. The study involved 1391 mothers who gave birth to children between 1998 and 2013 and were followed for several years. The level of folate in the mother's blood is checked once on the first to the third day after birth.
However, folate deficiency can also trigger autism
Researchers found that 1 in 10 mothers had excess folate levels (more than 59 nanomole per liter) and 6% of mothers had excess vitamin B12 levels (more than 600 picomole per liter). Excess folate levels in the mother's body can be caused by consuming too much food fortified with folic acid, consuming too much folate supplements, or being genetically able to absorb larger amounts, slower metabolism, or a combination of the two.
However, lack of folate intake in early pregnancy can also increase the risk of ASD in children. So that expectant mothers are encouraged to meet their folate needs to reduce the risk of ASD in their children. Research involving 85176 children born between 2002-2008 showed that the consumption of folic acid supplements before pregnancy was associated with a reduced risk of ASD in children (Suren, 2013). A case-control study in California on ASD children also showed that mothers who took folic acid and vitamins during the 3 months prior to pregnancy and during the first month of pregnancy were associated with a reduced risk of ASD in their children. Other studies have also shown that pre-pregnancy folate intake can reduce the risk of ASD in mothers whose folate metabolism is inefficient (Schmidt, 2012).
How can you get enough folate?
The conclusion from some of the above studies is that mothers should meet their folate needs before and after pregnancy in sufficient portions, not too much and also not deficient. Too much folate intake or deficient folate intake can both increase the risk of ASD in children born to mothers. If the mother is having problems meeting her body's folate needs, it is recommended that you consume enough supplements.
We recommend that you consult your doctor before the mother decides to take supplements in order to know the limits. However, try to get folate only from food sources if the mother does not have problems with folate intake.
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