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Phoenix666 writes:

Women who plan to become pregnant are told they need enough folate to prevent birth defects, but new research suggests there could be serious risks in having far too much of the nutrient.

The researchers found that if a new mother has a very high level of folate right after giving birth—more than four times what is considered adequate—the risk that her child will develop an autism spectrum disorder doubles.

Further, very high levels of another vitamin, B12, are also potentially harmful, tripling the risk that a new mom's offspring will develop an autism spectrum disorder. If both levels are extremely high, the risk that a child develops the disorder increases 17.6 times.

There is no such thing as a home testing meter to monitor the levels of folates and B12 in your blood, the way there is for glucose. How would a mother know without running to the doctor every day?

takyon: Also at Johns Hopkins University, The Atlantic, CBS News, and the Baltimore Sun. There is no DOI, because these are preliminary findings that will be presented on May 13th at the International Meeting for Autism Research in Baltimore.

Related: Scotland to Debate Fortification of Flour With Folic Acid as UK Govt Delays
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