Affiliations: Department of Psychology, University of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, Cedar Falls, IA, USA
Note: [] Corresponding author: Catherine DeSoto, Professor of Psychology,
Department of Psychology, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA
50614-0505, USA. Tel.: +1 319 273 7475; Fax: +1 319 273 6188; E-mail:
cathy.desoto@uni.edu
Abstract: Persons in developed countries are getting large amounts of folates
in the form of folic acid. Folates are now ingested in three ways: as natural
folates from food, as synthetic folic acid added to processed grains, and
synthetic vitamin supplements. As a result of the supplementation, the
circulating level of unmetabolized folic acid as well as total folates has
greatly increased over the past generation, probably to levels largely
unprecedented in human history. Folic acid has been shown to be able to
epigenetically alter the functioning of the genome and to have long term
effects on gene expression. The Centers for Disease Control Vaccine Safety
Datalink data set compared children with autism to control children on several
variables. Here, we report that folic acid supplementation during gestation is
associated with an increased risk for autism. The effect remains even when
health seeking behaviors and other variables are controlled.
