Can eating Healthy Fats During Pregnancy Reduce Risk of Autism in Children?

According to a study from Harvard School of Public Health, pregnant women who eat a diet rich in linoleic acid are 34 percent less likely to have a child with autism spectrum disorders.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans advises pregnant or breastfeeding women to consume at least 8 ounces but no more than 12 ounces/week of seafood, which have high levels of healthy fats, but not eat certain types of fish that are high in mercury because mercury can raise the risk of babies having developmental disorders.

Vegetables oils are considered good for health because they contain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), more specifically omega-6 linoleic acid. The new study shows that foods rich in linoleic acid- a type of omega-6 fatty acid-could be associated with lower risk of ASD.

"Our results provide preliminary evidence that increased maternal intake of omega-6 fatty acids could reduce risk of offspring [autism spectrum disorder], and that very low intakes of omega-3 fatty acids and linoleic acid could increase risk," the researchers said, reports Livescience.

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are a group of developmental disabilities that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges. According to estimates by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), In the US, 1 in 88 children and 1 in every 54 boys are born with autism.

The study doesn't show a cause and effect relation between healthy fat intakes.  

The study was based on data obtained from 317 mothers who had a child with autism over 17,700 others who had a child without this condition. Researchers analyzed data of the food that these women ate when they were pregnant and found that women with high intake of healthy fats had lower risk of having a child with autism.

According to the researchers, there might be other factors that may influence the study results and that more research is required to establish the effects of healthy fats during pregnancy on the health of the offspring.

The study is published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.