Researchers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Arizona State University, and the Mayo Clinic have reported that mothers of children born with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) exhibit significantly different metabolic levels for two to five years after the birth of their children compared to women who gave birth to healthy children.
In this study, the researchers analyzed blood samples from 30 women who gave birth to a child with autism, as well as samples from 29 women who had healthy children. All samples were taken from mothers whose children were between two and five years old. The results revealed a range of physical metabolic differences between the two groups, which the researchers detailed into five subgroups of interconnected metabolic differences. Although the study collected samples years after the birth of children with autism, the authors state that these initial findings open the door to many other important questions regarding the mother's struggles with her child diagnosed with autism. For example, were the metabolic levels abnormal at the time of birth? What about six months before birth? If so, maternal metabolic readings could serve as an effective means of diagnosing whether the fetus or infant is on the autism spectrum.
Was there a link between autism and meat consumption? Many of the metabolic differences among the participating mothers were related to decreased folate and vitamin B12 levels, as well as levels of molecules associated with carnitine, which is usually produced by the human body when consuming meats such as pork or beef. However, the researchers did not observe any correlation between mothers consuming more meat and subsequently lower carnitine levels. According to co-author Dr. Juergen Hahn, head of the biomedical engineering department at Rensselaer, these differences might be a result of how carnitine is metabolized in certain women's bodies. He added, "We had many metabolic differences related to carnitine metabolism. This suggests that the relationship between carnitine and mothers is something that should be investigated."
The researchers also noted that maternal blood testing may likely assist in determining the risks of their children being diagnosed with autism in the future. Dr. Hahn explained, "Blood tests will not be able to determine if your child has autism, but it can indicate if they have an increased risk of being on the spectrum. Having a higher risk classification can be very important in this case." Additionally, co-author James Adams, a lead professor in materials, transport, and energy science, and director of the autism research program at Arizona State University, stated, "Based on these findings, we are now conducting a new study on stored blood samples collected during pregnancy to determine if these metabolic differences also existed during gestation."
