QUEENSLAND Brain Institute researchers at the University of Queensland have found a link between Vitamin D deficiency in pregnancy and increased autism traits.
The study, led by QBI researcher Professor John McGrath and involving Dr Henning Tiemeier from the Erasmus Medical Centre in The Netherlands, found that pregnant women with low Vitamin D levels at 20 weeks' gestation were more likely to have a child with autistic traits by the age of six.
"This study provides further evidence that low vitamin D isassociated with neurodevelopmental disorders," McGrath said.
"Just as taking folate in pregnancy has reduced the incidence of spina bifida, the result of this study suggests that prenatal vitamin D supplements may reduce the incidence of autism," he said.
Vitamin D is already known to play a role in maintenance of bone health, and now this new work and the wider body of evidence shows it is linked to brain growth, McGrath added.
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