Environmental Factor – October 2022: Autism researcher focuses on maternal diet, prenatal exposures

Environmental Factor – October 2022: Autism researcher focuses on maternal diet, prenatal exposures

Rick Woychik, Ph.D., directs NIEHS and the National Toxicology Program. (Image courtesy of NIEHS)

Scientific conferences that I attend usually deal with unhealthy issues in our surroundings, resembling chemical exposures that may negatively have an effect on well being outcomes. After some time, one begins to surprise concerning the different aspect of the equation: What concerning the good issues in our surroundings that doubtlessly assist to cut back dangers related to these exposures?

Last June, NIEHS hosted a two-day workshop — “Can Nutrition Modify the Impact of Environmental Exposures on Autism?” — that featured fascinating discussions on how vitamins resembling folic acid and polyunsaturated fatty acids could assist to cut back autism threat.

Autism is a posh situation influenced by genetics and, doubtlessly, environmental exposures that happen throughout key home windows of susceptibility, resembling being pregnant. Participants famous that rather more analysis is required to uncover the potential function vitamin could play in modifying the consequences of autism-related exposures, like air air pollution. Nevertheless, rising analysis on this space seems promising, and one NIEHS grantee is doing her half to advance the science.

Kristen Lyall, Sc.D., an epidemiologist at Drexel University who co-organized the June workshop, not too long ago spoke with me about her efforts to broaden analysis on the intersection of vitamin, exposures, and autism. She mentioned the function of maternal food regimen, highlighted necessary information gaps she is working to fill, and shared her distinctive profession path.

Reducing dangers attributable to exposures

Rick Woychik: What have been a few of your takeaways from the latest NIEHS workshop on vitamin, exposures, and autism?

Kristen Lyall, Sc.D. Lyall is an affiliate professor within the Modifiable Risk Factors Program within the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute. (Photo courtesy of Kristen Lyall)

Kristen Lyall: Sometimes I joke that when you spend a day at an environmental epidemiology convention, you stroll away with a sense of “Oh, no, every part within the atmosphere is horrible.” But I’ve all the time favored the concept of attempting to deal with issues which might be actionable. In different phrases, what can we do to assist mitigate our exposures? And this workshop actually introduced up these matters.

It is just not possible to completely cut back or remove our exposures to environmental chemical substances, that are ubiquitous in trendy life. So, this concept that the meals that we eat, the approach to life selections that we make, and so forth may also help to change our dangers from exposures actually intrigues me.

I used to be excited to assist manage the workshop as a result of it actually introduced collectively a variety of my pursuits. I’ve been learning the function of prenatal food regimen in youngster neurodevelopment for a while, and I’ve a rising curiosity within the function of environmental chemical substances. I additionally assume it’s necessary to notice the potential for widespread pathways right here — that folic acid supplementation, an anti-inflammatory food regimen, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and different dietary elements could act on the identical pathways that we all know these environmental chemical substances are performing on to affect neurodevelopmental outcomes.

The concept that dietary elements could assist to minimize the consequences of these chemical substances is a significant curiosity of mine, however there isn’t a variety of analysis on the market but. The workshop was nice as a result of we have been in a position to join with different scientists from various fields with experience on this space, share concepts, take into consideration our analysis strategies, and focus on information gaps.

Addressing necessary information gaps

RW: What information gaps have you ever recognized, and the way is your analysis addressing them?

KL: If we examine food regimen and vitamin to different threat issue analysis in autism, and even analysis in neurodevelopment extra broadly, there is definitely a lot much less work associated to maternal food regimen. Another information hole is that just about all the present analysis has examined one nutrient at a time, or one complement at a time, however that’s not very consultant of real-world dietary exposures, which contain complicated interactions of a number of substances. In addition, there haven’t been many research inspecting dietary patterns, which characterize a extra complete evaluation of food regimen, and associations with neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Image of a boy made with colorful puzzle pieces Learn extra about how NIEHS-funded scientists are advancing autism research. (Photo courtesy of Nikosnikossss / Shutterstock.com)

Also, there are solely a small variety of research which have checked out interactions between vitamins and chemical substances. Some research have begun to have a look at folate and air air pollution, and folate and pesticides, however work on this space is rising, and we are able to actually broaden our consideration of dietary elements. And, in fact, the present gaps additionally current alternatives for subsequent steps. I believe there’s a variety of thrilling analysis on the horizon.

Some of my ongoing initiatives try to deal with these gaps. Currently, I’m main a examine funded by NIEHS taking a look at whether or not sure vitamins can modify the affiliation between prenatal air air pollution publicity and autism-related outcomes. We are inspecting particular person vitamins resembling folate and vitamin D but additionally a broader food regimen, and we’re taking a look at vital time home windows when dietary elements may most affect associations.

Communicating a few complicated situation

RW: That feels like fascinating work, and I sit up for studying what you uncover going ahead. Now, I’m interested by one other necessary facet of all of this, which includes communication. Obviously, autism is a posh situation influenced by many elements, and after we speak about prevention, there are numerous variables at play. What are your ideas on how you can successfully talk your science and the potential advantages of dietary interventions?

KL: I simply need to observe that I need to watch out once I use the time period threat and speak about prevention as a result of autism right now is a broad analysis, and it contains many alternative ranges of challenges but additionally strengths. Risk is mostly a statistical time period, and we’re not attempting to stop neurodiversity or a few of the strengths that come together with autism. So, after we’re speaking about prevention or lowering threat, it’s about lowering challenges and bettering perform.

Regarding communication, that could be a subject I’m deeply desirous about. Working within the subject of prenatal threat elements for autism, I believe it is so necessary to essentially hone communication and really fastidiously and thoughtfully put out messaging in a method that does not place blame or burden on these households as a result of they have already got a lot that they are working by way of.

It is vital to level out that autism is a multifactorial situation with nobody trigger, so within the overwhelming majority of circumstances, it isn’t only one issue that causes a baby to develop autism. Often, individuals could also be searching for the “one” reply, and I believe it is necessary that we remind them there are numerous causes of autism, and two people with the situation could have completely completely different causes, and completely different units of challenges.

When speaking a few particular examine, I believe it’s necessary to share the take-home message, the important thing discovering, and to place that within the context of relative threat. For instance, you may inform individuals that you simply noticed will increase in odds of getting a baby with autism for people who have been uncovered to very excessive ranges of a given chemical, relative to these with decrease ranges. And within the case of a preventative technique, you may say that you simply noticed reductions in odds of autism with larger prenatal ranges of a sure nutrient relative to these with very low ranges.

Providing that context is vital for ubiquitous exposures as a result of it clarifies that will increase within the probability of an consequence depend upon the extent of the publicity, not simply whether or not the publicity is current. That lets individuals know that not everybody with the publicity will get the end result. In addition, I believe it is very important present actionable methods for lowering exposures or maybe consuming extra of a nutrient that may assist to change the possibly dangerous results of the exposures. And all of this needs to be communicated in a method that doesn’t place blame or trigger extra stress — which I believe is especially necessary for pregnant populations.

(Rick Woychik, Ph.D., directs NIEHS and the National Toxicology Program.)


https://factor.niehs.nih.gov/2022/10/feature/4-feature-autism-research/index.htm

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