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Vitamin D 'plays important role in preventing autism', researchers say

Rex
Rex

Vitamin D seems to play an important role in the development – and prevention – of autism, researchers have found.

Researchers at the Queensland Brain Institute found that giving vitamin D supplements to mice during pregnancy completely prevented autism traits in their offspring.

Previous research showed a link between pregnant women with low Vitamin D levels and the increased likelihood of having a child with autistic traits.

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Sun exposure is the major source of vitamin D – which skin cells manufacture in response to UV rays – but it is also found in some foods.

‘Our study used the most widely accepted developmental model of autism, in which affected mice behave abnormally and show deficits in social interaction, basic learning and stereotyped behaviours,’ Professor Darryl Eyles of UQ’s Queensland Brain Institute said.

‘We found that pregnant females treated with active vitamin D (a different form than in supplements) in the equivalent of the first trimester of pregnancy produced offspring that did not develop these deficits.’

Dr Wei Luan, a postdoctoral researcher involved in the study, said, ‘Recent funding will now allow us to determine how much cholecalciferol – the supplement form that is safe for pregnant women – is needed to achieve the same levels of active hormonal vitamin D in the bloodstream.

‘This new information will allow us to further investigate the ideal dose and timing of vitamin D supplementation for pregnant women.’