Are maternal levels of Vitamin D linked to Autism?

Autumn babies are more likely to suffer from learning difficulties.  This is probably because their mothers levels of Vitamin D were at their lowest when they were conceived researches believe.

In fact, there could be around 11% fewer cases of autism, dyslexia and other learning problems if mother’s levels of Vitamin D were higher according to researchers from the University of Glasgow.

In an analysis of more that 800,000 Scottish school children during 2006 – 2011, they discovered that 8.9% of children conceived between January and March when vitamin D levels are most likely at their lowest – had learning difficulties compared with 7.6% of children conceived between July and September.

While the researchers can’t be certain, they believe maternal levels of vitamin D are the most plausible explanation, especially as the first three months after conception are vital for brain development – and other studies have shown just how important vitamin D is to the process.

This research has created a change in public health policy, and all pregnant women are now advised to take Vitamin D supplements.

Reference

DF Mackay, GCS Smith, A Cooper et al, 2016, Month of Conception and Learning Disabilities: A Record-Linkage Study of 801,592 Children,  American Journal of Epidemiology, Vol 184, Issue 7 pages 485-93

See >> http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/184/7/485.abstract

Related Posts

  • Can reflexology reduce the severity of nausea?

    Researchers in Iran conducted a randomised control trail to see if reflexology could assist patients undergoing haemodialysis with their nausea.  Haemodialysis is a way of replacing some of the functions of your kidney, if your kidneys have failed, by using a machine to filter and clean your blood. 72 patients were assigned to either an intervention group or control group.  The control group received a foot massage.  The intervention group received 30-minute reflexology treatments once per day for 12 days, one hour after haemodialysis.  The patients were asked to complete a questionnaire to assess the severity of the nausea 15 minutes after the intervention each day. The results showed differences between the groups after treatment, with the severity of the nausea significantly lower in the reflexology group. There are may different causes of nausea including viruses, medication, anxiety, pregnancy & haemodialysis. It is thought the reflexology may reduce the nausea indirectly by decreasing the related symptoms such as anxiety. Reference https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31383439

  • The Impact of Sitting All Day – Part 6

    Studies have shown that an alert body and active lifestyle boosts not just productivity, but also happiness and satisfaction levels. There is now an explosion of research studies that demonstrate the harmful effects of sitting all day, which I have covered in past blog posts.

    In my last blog post, "Taking a Break", I explored the reasons for taking a break and looked at the latest research on the length of break you need to take and the frequency. So now I want to focus on strategies to get you moving… Use an Exercise Ball for a Chair Unlike sitting in a chair, sitting on a exercise ball engages your core muscles and helps improve your balance & flexibility. Occasionally bouncing can also help your body interact with gravity to a greater degree than sitting on a stationary chair. Use the Stairs Walk up and down stairs, rather than take the lifts.  Even if you only walk up or down one flight of stairs and then take the lift the rest of the way it will have a positive impact on your health. Walk & Talk Meeting If you have an informal meeting with a colleague why not suggest a walk & talk meeting, weather permitting you could always go outside and get some fresh air too! Pedometer Using a pedometer will help you asses how many steps you take throughout the day. Taking a roundabout way to your desk, taking the stairs or walking to the next tube station as part of your commute will help you increase the number of steps you take daily. Exercise while you Sit at your desk An Amercian start up company, FitnessCubed, has come up with Cubii, an under-desk elliptical trainer that allows you to do basic exercise while you sit at a standard office desk. (It requires no changes to your existing desk set up.) They have also produced a mobile app that allows you to track your workout and you can also share your work out results – so you could even hold an inter-office competition.

  • Are you low in magnesium?

    Although we have talked in general about lots of people being low in magnesium, it begs the querstion are you low in Magnesium?  Given we can't take a test, what are the signs you can look for to see if you are low magnesium?

    • Anxiety
    • Times of hyperactivity
    • Difficulty getting to sleep
    • Difficulty staying asleep
    • Muscle spams and muscle cramping
    • Fibromyalgia
    • Facial tics
    • Eye twitches or involuntary evey movements
    In clinic we often see clients who's muscles are really tight or contracted.  Without magnesium in our body our muscles would be in a constant state of contraction.  It should be noted that calcium causes our muscles to contract.  While calcium and magnesium have actions that oppose each other they function as a team.  So you must always consider your calcium levels when considering your magnesium levels. References Seelig M, Rosanoff A. The Magnesium Factor. New York: Avery Books; 2003