Autism is on the Rise
Current diagnostic practices demonstrate a 20-fold increase in the reported prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Neuro-developmental disorders like autism and schizophrenia disproportionately affect males.
Younger males are more vulnerable than younger females. Though teenage girls seem to possibly be catching up.
Theories emphasize the role of early life adversity, especially caused by maternal stress. Which is greatly impacted by nutrition.
Research
Researchers from both the Michigan University Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders and the University of Missouri School of Medicine have uncovered possible reasons for male vulnerability in the womb.
If a mom is insufficient in a brain-protective omega-3 fatty acid, called docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), male brains become more vulnerable. To pathologies such as ADHD.
In other words, a mom’s intake of DHA may protect the development of the unborn male brain.
How did they figure this out? The scientists put 40 mice into four different groups.
Group 1 mothers received a standard diet and were not exposed to any early prenatal stress (EPS).
Group 2 got the standard diet while being exposed to (EPS), which consisted of restraint, light, noise, and predator threat.
Group 3 got a diet modified with supplemental DHA but was not exposed to EPS.
Group 4 received DHA supplementation and EPS.
The team analyzed the embryos and placentas at 12.5 days of gestation.
They found exposure to prenatal distress decreased placenta and embryo weight in males, but not females. Low weights such as these are signs of “stress”.
In the DHA groups, the omega DHA supplement reversed the impact of EPS. On males.
The morale of this story:
DHA should be part of prenatal vitamin supplementation.
Bonus - DHA is brain protective for adults, not just for the developing son in the womb.
References:
Autism spectrum heterogeneity: fact or artifact? Mol Psychiatry. 2020 Dec;25(12):3178-3185. doi: 10.1038/s41380-020-0748-y. Epub 2020 Apr 30. PMID: 32355335; PMCID: PMC7714694.
Sex and gender impacts on the behavioural presentation and recognition of autism. Curr Opin Psychiatry. 2020 Mar;33(2):117-123. doi: 10.1097/YCO.0000000000000575. PMID: 31815760.
Maternal DHA supplementation influences sex-specific disruption of placental gene expression following early prenatal stress. Biology of Sex Differences, 2021; 12 (1) DOI: 10.1186/s13293-020-00356-x