Maternal periconceptional folie acid intake and risk of autism spectrum disorders and developmental delay in the CHARGE (CHildhood Autism Risks from Genetics and Environment) case-control study.

ABSTRACT Background: Periconceptional folate is essential for proper neuro-development. Objective: Maternal folie acid intake was examined in relation to the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and developmental delay (DD). Design: Families enrolled in the CHARGE (CHildhood Autism Risks from Genetics and Environment) Study from 2003 to 2009 were included if their child had a diagnosis of ASD (n = 429), DD (n = 130), or typical development (TD; n = 278) confirmed at the University of California Davis Medical Investigation of Neurode- velopmental Disorders Institute by using standardized clinical assessments. Average daily folie acid was quantified for each mother on the basis of dose, brands, and intake frequency of vitamins, supplements, and breakfast cereals reported through structured telephone interviews. Results: Mean (±SEM) folie acid intake was significantly greater for mothers of TD children than for mothers of children with ASD in the first month of pregnancy (PI; 779.0 ± 36.1 and 655.0 ± 28.7 /µg, respectively; P < 0.01). A mean daily folic acid intake of >600 /µg (compared with <600 µg) during PI was associated with reduced ASD risk (adjusted OR: 0.62; 95% CI: 0.42, 0.92; P = 0.02), and risk estimates decreased with increased folie acid (P-trend = 0.001). The association between folie acid and reduced ASD risk was strongest for mothers and children with MTHFR 677 C>T variant genotypes. A trend toward an association between lower maternal folie acid intake during the 3 mo before pregnancy and DD was observed, but not after adjustment for confounders. Conclusions: Periconceptional folie acid may reduce ASD risk in those with inefficient folate metabolism. The replication of these findings and investigations of mechanisms involved are warranted. Am J Clin Nutr 20\2;96:80-9. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]