Folate concentrations during pregnancy and autistic traits in the offspring. The Generation R Study

This prospective population-based study found prenatal folic acid use, but not maternal folate concentration during pregnancy (13 weeks’ gestation), was associated with lower autistic trait scores (parent-reported) in the offspring at the age of six years.

The researchers postulate that the association between prenatal folic acid supplementation and child autistic traits may be explained by residual confounding. Prenatal folic acid supplement use is a marker of good health literacy and is associated with health-conscious behaviours that decrease the background risk of autistic traits in the offspring.

 

An alternative explanation for the inconsistent findings between folic acid supplementation and folate concentrations might be the timing of biomarker assessment. The authors suggest that future research should focus on the timing of the potential effect of prenatal folate on the development of autistic traits in combination with clinical diagnosis of autism in the offspring.