This blog is an abbreviated excerpt of the MTHFR section in Dr. Sutton’s book Genetic Testing: Defining Your Path to a Personalized Health Plan.
MTHFR and Your Child’s Health
What does having an MTHFR risk allele mean for an unborn child’s health?
It’s incredibly important for women to be diagnosed and treated for having an MTHFR risk allele before becoming pregnant. If a woman is being treated with proper nutritional supplementation before getting pregnant and while pregnant, her child’s chances of developing autism and neural tube defects like spina bifida are dramatically reduced.
Autism and MTHFR risk alleles
There is a 2.79-fold increased risk for developing autism in children with MTHFR with a risk allele for MTHFR C677T1. However, having the risk allele for both MTHFR C677T and A1298C significantly increases the risk of developing autism1. There is an 8.11-fold increased risk of developing autism if someone has all four risk alleles for both MTHFR C677T and MTHFR A1298C1.
Healthy mommies + healthy pregnancies = healthy babies
All women of child-bearing age, particularly pregnant women, should strongly consider taking a prenatal vitamin with extra vitamin B-9 in the methyl-activated form called Quatrefolic acid. It’s particularly important for women with any MTHFR risk alleles to consider taking the methyl-activated form of vitamin B-9 before conception, throughout pregnancy and while nursing.
Pregnant women who have one or more MTHFR risk allele(s) are at an increased risk for miscarriage; a more complex, high-risk pregnancy; and developing pre-eclampsia. Even if a pregnant woman doesn’t have an MTHFR risk allele, she may still benefit from taking the methyl-activated form of vitamin B-9 called Quatrefolic acid. Her unborn child may also benefit, particularly if the baby is inheriting a paternal MTHFR risk allele(s).
One important study showed that women who took at least 400 mcg of vitamin B-9 every day starting at least four weeks before pregnancy, and through eight weeks after the start of their pregnancy, were 40 percent less likely to have a child diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder2.
An MTHFR risk allele: A big problem or a non-issue?
Thankfully there can be an easy solution to preventing health problems related to having one or more MTHFR risk allele(s). If women are educated about proper nutrition (supplementing with methyl-activated vitamin B-9) before and during pregnancy, and they ensure that their children get proper nutrition/supplementation from an early age, then the risk for developing MTHFR-related health problems should be a non-issue.
How do you know if you inherited an MTHFR risk allele?
If you want to know if you have inherited one or more of the MTHFR gene risk alleles, then you can do genetic testing through “23andMe” and then run a genetic report through http://GeneticDetoxification.com. The GeneticDetoxification report that is generated is designed to go along with Dr. Sutton’s new cutting-edge book Genetic Testing: Defining Your Path to a Personalized Health Plan.
References:
1.) Mohammad et al, Aberrations in folate metabolic pathway and altered susceptibility to autism. Psychiatr Genet 2009 Aug; 19(4):171-6.
2.) Hamilton, John. Feb 12, 2013. Folic Acid For Pregnant Mothers Cuts Kid’s Autism Risk. Retrieved from: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2013/02/25/171828067/folic-acid-for-pregnant-mothers-cuts-kids-autism-risk
These Statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This is intended for information purposes only.
