It has been hypothesized that autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may have a connection with folate insufficiency or excess, but the evidence is mixed and largely inconclusive.
Folate is undoubtedly crucial for fetal neurodevelopment during early pregnancy. Folic acid supplementation during pregnancy, often in the form of a multivitamin, has generally been associated with neutral to beneficial effects on ASD risk.[1][2] However, both high and low levels of maternal serum folate during pregnancy have been associated with an increased risk of ASD.[3][4]
Lending support to the theory of a connection between folate and ASD, a 2021 meta-analysis of observational studies found that children with ASD were 19 times more likely to have cerebral folate receptor autoantibodies, which could indicate a reduced capacity to transport folate into the brain.[5] Additionally, autism is associated with an increased likelihood of MTHFR polymorphism, suggesting impaired folate metabolism.[6]
While further research is needed to understand the relationship between folate and autism, it seems fair to suggest that folic acid supplementation at appropriate doses during pregnancy may have a neutral to beneficial effect on the risk of ASD.
References
- ^Guo BQ, Li HB, Zhai DS, Ding SBAssociation of maternal prenatal folic acid intake with subsequent risk of autism spectrum disorder in children: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry.(2019-Aug-30)
- ^Wang M, Li K, Zhao D, Li LThe association between maternal use of folic acid supplements during pregnancy and risk of autism spectrum disorders in children: a meta-analysis.Mol Autism.(2017)
- ^Egorova O, Myte R, Schneede J, Hägglöf B, Bölte S, Domellöf E, Ivars A'roch B, Elgh F, Ueland PM, Silfverdal SAMaternal blood folate status during early pregnancy and occurrence of autism spectrum disorder in offspring: a study of 62 serum biomarkers.Mol Autism.(2020-Jan-16)
- ^Raghavan R, Riley AW, Volk H, Caruso D, Hironaka L, Sices L, Hong X, Wang G, Ji Y, Brucato M, Wahl A, Stivers T, Pearson C, Zuckerman B, Stuart EA, Landa R, Fallin MD, Wang XMaternal Multivitamin Intake, Plasma Folate and Vitamin B Levels and Autism Spectrum Disorder Risk in Offspring.Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol.(2018-Jan)
- ^Rossignol DA, Frye RECerebral Folate Deficiency, Folate Receptor Alpha Autoantibodies and Leucovorin (Folinic Acid) Treatment in Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.J Pers Med.(2021-Nov-03)
- ^Tahereh Sadeghiyeh, Seyed Alireza Dastgheib, Khadijeh Mirzaee-Khoramabadi, Majid Morovati-Sharifabad, Mohammad Javad Akbarian-Bafghi, Zahra Poursharif, Seyed Reza Mirjalili, Hossein NeamatzadehAssociation of MTHFR 677C>T and 1298A>C polymorphisms with susceptibility to autism: A systematic review and meta-analysisAsian J Psychiatr.(2019 Dec)