Scientific evidence has finally laid bare the facts that mothers around the world have been dying to confirm. There is indeed a link between low iron intake during pregnancy and child autism.
New scientific evidence has confirmed that there is indeed a link between autism and low iron intake. In a study published on September 22 in the American Journal of Epidemiology, 520 pairs of mothers and children with autism were sampled with 346 pairs of mothers and their developing children. All were enrolled in the California Childhood Autism Risk from Genetics and the Environment study (CHARGE) from 2003 to 2009.
The researchers analyzed the maternal intake of iron from the children. They also assessed the intake of various forms of dietary nutrition such as vitamins, proteins, breakfast cereals (often iron fortified) and other supplements. This was analyzed during the three months before birth up to the birth of the child, and even during breast feeding. The mother's daily iron intake was assessed.
In declaring their results, the scientists found that the iron intake by mothers of children with autism was much lower than the iron intake by the mothers whose children were healthy. They noted that the months preceding birth were the most crucial time for the mothers to indulge in iron foods and supplements.
For long, scientists have always linked low iron intake with autism, however, no medical evidence existed. The new study did in fact confirm the link and even =went ahead to state that mothers who did not have enough iron during pregnancy had as much as a 5 times higher risk of giving birth to a child with autism.
The study also assessed various other factors in the women such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension and blood pressure. They noted that the iron absorption in women varied with every woman but the risk was higher when coupled with low iron intake for mother s with the above conditions.
Researcher Rebecca Schmidt also stated that the goal of the research was not to place blame on mothers for their children's conditions, "about half of women become deficient during pregnancy," she stated.
