About Fertility
Multivitamins During Pregnancy May Reduce a Child’s Risk of Autism
Couples going through IVF have questions about what they can do to have a healthy pregnancy and how to prepare for it. A recent study published in the BMJ found that multivitamins during pregnancy may reduce a child’s risk of autism. These findings are based on a Swedish cohort of 273,107 mother-child pairs. The children were born between 1996 and 2007 and follow-up continued through 2011. Specifically, the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with intellectual disability was lower in the children of women who consumed multivitamins during pregnancy. These findings remained constant with or without additional iron or folic acid, suggesting that the multivitamin itself was the most important contributing factor.
Multivitamins During Pregnancy
Further research is required, but these findings further strengthen the recommendation that all women should take at least a multivitamin (and ideally a prenatal vitamin) prior to and during pregnancy. Our patients frequently ask if fertility treatment poses any risk to their future offspring. In particular, they are concerned about long-term issues that could affect the health of their child. At Fertility Centers of New England, we encourage all of our patients to lead a healthy lifestyle in order to have the healthiest pregnancy possible.
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