Review Examines Evidence to Support Use of Prenatal Supplements to Prevent Mental Illness

Previous studies suggest that certain prenatal supplements can enhance fetal brain development, but less is known about whether these supplements decrease the subsequent risk of mental illness in offspring. Areview published Wednesday inAJP in Advance suggests that while prenatal nutrients may offer some protective mental health benefits to the offspring, there are some health risks.AJP Editor Robert Freedman, M.D., of the University of Colorado School of Medicine and colleagues conducted a literature search for human studies that included the keyword “micronutrients” combined with “pregnancy” or “fetal development” that were published between 1990 and 2017. Thirty-five human studies and trials of individual nutrients were identified that included reports on subsequent child behavior, emotion, or cognition in one or more articles. Fre edman and colleagues identified four supplements as a result of this literature review: folic acid, omega-3 fatty acids, phosphatidylcholine, and vitamins D and A.Key findings of the review included the following:Folic acid and phosphatidylcholine supplements appear to reduce social and emotional problems in young children that are associated with later mental illness. More research is needed to establish whether these supplements can reduce the risk of psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia.Vitamin A and D supplements appear to decrease the risk for schizophrenia and autism. However, at higher doses these vitamins can be toxic ...
Source: Psychiatr News - Category: Psychiatry Tags: ADHD ajp in advance folic acid mental health risks nutrients omega-3 fatty acids phosphatidylcholine prenatal supplements Robert Freedman schizophrenia vitamins D and A Source Type: research