Maternal Intake of Supplemental Iron and Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorders

Published September 22, 2014 in University of California - Davis

Mothers of children with autism are significantly less likely to report taking iron supplements before and during their pregnancies than the mothers of children who are developing normally, a study by researchers with the UC Davis MIND Institute has found. Low iron intake was associated with a five-fold greater risk of autism in the child if the mother was 35 or older at the time of the child’s birth or if she suffered from metabolic conditions such as obesity hypertension or diabetes. The research is the first to examine the relationship between maternal iron intake and having a child with autism spectrum disorder.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-09/uoc--moc090914.php

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