Women who adhere to a healthy diet during pregnancy could lower the risk of autism in their children, according to a recent study. Researchers looked at data from more than 96,000 pregnancies in Norway and England. The children were followed up until the age of 8 and sometimes older.
The study found that the “likelihood of autism diagnosis was reduced by 22 percent” among children whose mothers adhered to a healthy prenatal dietary pattern. Researchers defined a healthy diet as including fruits, vegetables, nuts, fish, and whole grains while consuming less red and processed meat, high-fat foods, soft drinks, and refined carbohydrates. A healthy diet during pregnancy was also associated with a reduced likelihood of children having social communication difficulties.
However, such a diet was not associated with lower odds of restrictive and repetitive behaviors. Researchers stated they were unsure whether associations observed in the study were “causal” or not. They called for more investigation into these issues, such as exploring whether the associations varied based on food groups.
The study was funded by multiple entities, including the UK Medical Research Council, the Wellcome Trust, the University of Bristol, the Norwegian Ministry of Health and Care Services, and the Scottish Government’s Chief Scientist Office. A study researcher had a conflict of interest as this person received grants from UK Prevention Research Partnership and NIHR outside the submitted work.