A quarterly publication of the Autism Research Institute
Spring, 2024 | Number 2, Volume 38
Children of mothers who take multivitamins and/or vitamin D during pregnancy may have reduced odds of receiving a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to a large-scale study from China.
Xiujie Qi and colleagues analyzed data collected on 1,321 children with ASD and 1,200 neurotypical children enrolled in the China Multi-Center Preschool Autism Project from May 2018 to December 2019. The researchers divided the mothers into three categories: those who took vitamin D supplements, those who took multivitamins (with or without vitamin D), and those who did not take either one.
The researchers investigated both the incidence of ASD in the women’s children and the severity of symptoms in children who did develop ASD. Symptoms were assessed using the Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC), the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS), and the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), while neurodevelopmental levels were assessed using the Children Neuropsychological and Behavior Scale Revision 2016 (CNBS-R2016).
The researchers report that maternal vitamin D and multivitamin supplementation during pregnancy were both significantly associated with a lower likelihood of ASD in children. Children with ASD whose mothers took multivitamins during pregnancy had lower CARS scores, fewer communication problems, and higher personal-social scores than children of mothers who did not take supplements. Maternal vitamin D supplementation did not influence symptoms or developmental scores in children with ASD.
The researchers conclude, “This study supports a protective association between maternal vitamin D and multivitamin supplementation during pregnancy and the risk of ASD in offspring.” In addition, they say, “Maternal multivitamin supplementation may potentially moderate the symptoms and personal-social ability in ASD children.”
“Maternal multivitamin supplementation is associated with symptoms in offspring with autism spectrum disorder: A multi-center study in China,” Xiujie Qi, Ting Yang, Jie Chen, Li Chen, Ying Dai, Hua Wei, Feiyong Jia, Lijie Wu, Yan Hao, Ling Li, Jie Zhang, Xiaoyan Ke, Mingji Yi, Qi Hong, Jinjin Chen, Shuanfeng Fang, Yichao Wang, Qi Wang, Chunhua Jin, and Tingyu Li, Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, March 2024 (online). Address: Tingyu Li, Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Childhood Nutrition and Health, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing 400014, China, [email protected].
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“Maternal vitamin D, multivitamin supplementation may reduce risk of autism in offspring,” Erin Hunter, Pharmacy Times, February 2, 2024.
