Psycho-Babble Alternative Thread 1096352

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Too much folic acid, B12 harmful during pregnancy

Posted by Hugh on December 16, 2017, at 15:13:06

Researchers [at Johns Hopkins University] found that if a new mother has a very high level of folate right after giving birth -- more than four times what is considered adequate -- the risk that her child will develop a condition on the autism spectrum doubles. Very high vitamin B12 levels in new moms are also potentially harmful, tripling the risk that her offspring will develop an autism spectrum disorder. If both levels are extremely high, the risk that a child develops the condition increases 17.6 times.

Complete article:

https://hub.jhu.edu/2016/05/12/too-much-folate-pregnant-autism/

It's important that pregnant women take folic acid during pregnancy, as it helps to prevent neural tube defects, such as spina bifida. But Dr. Tod Cooperman says that pregnant women should take no more than 400 mcg of folic acid per day, and most prenatal vitamins contain 800 mcg.

Cooperman believes that pregnant women are better off taking a regular multivitamin that contains 150 mcg of iodine, 27 mg of iron, and no more than 400 mcg of folic acid, and then taking a separate choline supplement (phosphatidylcholine is best).

Dr. Cooperman's talk on prenatal vitamins:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2jVql5NDac

 

Re: Too much folic acid, B12 harmful during pregnancy » Hugh

Posted by linkadge on December 29, 2017, at 8:53:24

In reply to Too much folic acid, B12 harmful during pregnancy, posted by Hugh on December 16, 2017, at 15:13:06

I wonder if there are trends of increasing use of folic acid in pregnancy over the past 30 years and how well this correlates with the increased incidence of autism.

Scarily, I have a friend who recomends folic acid / b12 to treat autism. Now, of course, this is in people who already have the disorder.

Linkadge

 

Re: Too much folic acid, B12 harmful during pregnancy » linkadge

Posted by Hugh on January 6, 2018, at 19:55:22

In reply to Re: Too much folic acid, B12 harmful during pregnancy » Hugh, posted by linkadge on December 29, 2017, at 8:53:24

In the '70s and '80s, one in 2,000 children is the US had autism. Now, one in 68 children in the US has an ASD. Since 1996, flour products in the US have been fortified with folic acid. (Corn masa flour has been fortified with folic acid since 2016.) This has led to a decrease in the number of children born with spina bifida.

Women who take too much folic acid and/or B12 during pregnancy could be part of the reason that the autism rate is skyrocketing. Other possible reasons:

More children born prematurely are surviving, and these children are more likely to develop autism.
Parents are waiting longer to have children these days, and children born to older parents (especially an older father) may be more likely to develop autism.
We're better at diagnosing autism now than we used to be. Some people argue that this could be the sole reason that the autism rate is skyrocketing. I read an article in New Scientist several years ago that argued that this is part of the reason, but certainly not the sole reason.

Changes in diet may have something to do with the increase. Starting in the '70s, Americans were told that eggs are bad for them. It's only recently that we've been told that eggs are actually good for us. Eggs are a rich source of choline, and getting plenty of choline during pregnancy may help to protect the offspring from developing autism.

Women who take antiepileptic drugs during pregnancy may be much more likely to have children who develop autism. Women who take antiepileptic drugs during pregnancy can decrease the risk that their children will develop autism by taking folic acid.

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/890822

So, it's complicated.

 

Re: Too much folic acid, B12 harmful during pregnancy

Posted by linkadge on January 22, 2018, at 17:00:09

In reply to Re: Too much folic acid, B12 harmful during pregnancy » linkadge, posted by Hugh on January 6, 2018, at 19:55:22

The problem is too, that we really don't know what autism is, at the synaptic level. The disturbances that are caused by antiepileptic drugs may be different from the ones caused by antidepressants, folic acid / b12 etc. I think there is a lot getting lumped into 'autism' which may not be.

Linkadge

 

Re: Too much folic acid, B12 harmful during pregnancy

Posted by SLS on January 23, 2018, at 8:50:21

In reply to Re: Too much folic acid, B12 harmful during pregnancy, posted by linkadge on January 22, 2018, at 17:00:09

I read an article recently that suggested that autism is the result of reduced neural pruning. (Pruning is the process by which unneeded neurons are disassembled). On the other side of the fence is schizophrenia, where increased neural pruning may be involved. Interestingly, neural pruning is dependent on a properly functioning immune system. Without it, pruning does not occur.


- Scott

 

Re: Too much folic acid, B12 harmful during pregnancy

Posted by Hugh on January 23, 2018, at 14:49:09

In reply to Re: Too much folic acid, B12 harmful during pregnancy, posted by SLS on January 23, 2018, at 8:50:21

Another possible reason for the skyrocketing autism rate is prenatal exposure to flame retardants, which are in furniture and in 90% of mattresses.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/03/150305125148.htm

And this just came out yesterday:

A North Carolina State University-led research team has shown a connection between exposure to a widely used flame retardant chemical mixture and disruption of normal placental function in rats, leading to altered production of the neurotransmitter serotonin. Evidence of endocrine, inflammatory and neurotransmitter signaling pathway disruption was also identified in the placentas. These data show, for the first time, that flame retardants can have sex-specific effects on placental functions critical for brain development.

Complete article:

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2018-01-placental-accumulation-flame-retardant-chemical.html


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