So far we know that folic acid is an essential vitamin to prevent neural tube defects, from which the nervous system originated, but a new study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association concludes that taking folic acid in pregnancy would also reduce the risk of autism in the baby.
Folic acid is also related to better cognitive development and to prevent language delays, so it is recommended to take a supplement of 400 mg daily from at least one month before and the first three months of pregnancy, to ensure that reservations They are covered when the basic structures of the nervous system are formed.
The study, carried out in Norway on a total of 85,176 babies born between 2002 and 2008, found that mothers who had taken a folic acid supplement from 4 weeks before and 8 weeks after the beginning of pregnancy had a 40 percent lower risk of giving birth to children with autism compared to mothers who had not taken it.
No studies had been conducted so far on whether folic acid has a protective effect against neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism. Folic acid, folate, or vitamin B9 is necessary for the production and maintenance of new cells and is naturally present in some foods such as leafy vegetables, peas, lentils, beans, eggs, yeast and liver.
While it is a first step, research is very important and supports the recommendation of take a folic acid supplement since conception is planned, since when you find out that you are pregnant it may be late because the neural tube forms in the first weeks of gestation.
