Increased amounts of folic acid causes autism? - Page 4

[Sherlock007]

Originally Posted by krissi

I'm more inclined to believe that deficiency would be related to autism than excess.

I agree.

Some of these links might be of interest:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q...&dopt=Abstract
1: Clin Genet. 1999 Sep;56(3):216-20.Related Articles, Links
Fetal anticonvulsant syndrome and mutation in the maternal MTHFR gene.
Dean JC, Moore SJ, Osborne A, Howe J, Turnpenny PD.

Around 6% of infants born to mothers taking anticonvulsants have malformations, including neural tube defects, and a further proportion show developmental delay in later childhood. Three commonly used anticonvulsants, carbamazepine, phenytoin and sodium valproate, interfere with folic acid metabolism.

http://jmg.bmjjournals.com/cgi/conte...l/37/7/489#B21
A clinical study of 57 children with fetal anticonvulsant syndromes

http://www.jpands.org/vol9no4/boris.pdf.
Association of MTHFR Gene Variants with Autism

In the study group, there were 142 males (84.5%) and 26 females (15.5%). The distribution by gender was statistically similar for both autism and PDD. Among the 168 children, 149 were diagnosed with regressive autism, and 19 showed no evidence of regression.

In a study by Ramaekers et al., low 5-methyltetrahydrofolate levels in the spinal fluid of children who had normal neurodevelopment until age 4 to 6 months was associated with subsequent neurological regression. Addition of folinic acid as a dietary supplement corrected the symptoms. The observed favorable response to folinic acid further supports a central role for methylation in at least some developmental disorders.

Overall, the data show an increased risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) associated with common mutations affecting the folate/methylation cycle. These associations by themselves may provide a partial explanation for a subgroup of children genomically at risk for ASD disorders.

Increased folinic acid during pregnancy and early development may offset the genomic risk factors, and this deserves further study.

This study does not take into account the numerous potential influencing cofactors, which may be additive to the MTHFR observations, e.g. dietary folate, serum folate, dietary B vitamin intakes, amino acid deficiencies, environmental exposures, or heavy-metal exposure. It is likely some combination of these influences the phenotypic expression (ASD symptoms) of the genomic risk factors (MTHFR polymorphisms)

http://www.acsh.org/factsfears/newsI...ews_detail.asp

Folic acid, from fruits and vegetables, plays a role by powerfully protecting against methanol (formaldehyde) toxicity. Many common drugs, such as aspirin, interfere with folic acid, as do some mutations in relevant enzymes.

http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=16694344
Effect of folic acid supplementation on aluminum accumulation in rats
2005, vol. 21, no3, pp. 406-410 [5 page(s) (article)] (25 ref.)

These results suggest that folate supplementation might be useful to decrease Al accumulation in its main target organs, i.e., bone, kidney, and brain.

http://collegepharmacy.com/AMTrx/Ima...20Protocol.pdf.
FOLIC ACID

A large complex vitamin, folic acid has an almost obligatory infinity for formaldehyde. Perhaps it is this vitamin that is the ultimate protector of the human body. However, it is also known that too much folic acid is not good. By trapping all the formaldehyde (or methyl groups), proper building, repairing and healing cannot occur.

If formaldehyde, aluminium, and antibiotics in vaccines and Tylenol interfere with folic acid, (and seeing as the brain is one of the main organs targeted by aluminum), I think giving them to babies is crazy. Babies need their folic acid for brain development. Don't they?

[ryrysmom]

my personal experience...

Speaking from personal experience: In 2000 we had a child with a neural tube defect (anencephaly) and after that in 2002 my OBGYN put me on 4mg (miligrams NOT micrograms) of folic acid to prevent another NTD in the child I just became pregnant with. The normal dose is 4 mcg, but I was prescribed 4mg (10x the normal). The baby I was pregnant with is now 4 and has Aspergers/PPD NOS. I agree with the person that says if a lack of folic acid can be a cause for birth defects than an overdose on folic acid can also cause some sort of damage as well. But hindsight is always 20/20. Will I ever really know the cause of his Autism? NO. But this is the only link I have found. God Bless You All.