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Two recent studies examined how factors in labor and pregnancy can cause or reduce the risk of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Autism and Folic Acid One study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), found that pregnant women who take folic acid during pregnancy reduce the chances of their children developing autism by up to 40 percent. Most of us ingest a form of folic acid quite frequently; in the U.S., many grain and cereal products contain folic acid supplements. Folic acid is a B vitamin that encourages healthy cell growth. The study examined births in Norway, where the consumption of folic acid is not as widespread as it is here, and found that children whose mothers who did not take the B vitamin supplements had increased rates of ASD, Aspergers and other developmental disabilities. Autism and Premature Birth While folic acid may decrease the risk of…
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