Eating Healthy Fats During Pregnancy May Reduce Autism Risk, Study Finds

Women who eat certain types of "healthy fat" during pregnancy may reduce their risk of having a child with autism, a new study suggests.

In the study, women who consumed high levels of linoleic acid a type of omega-6 fatty acid found in vegetable oils, nuts and seeds were 34 percent less likely to give birth to a child with autism compared with women who consumed low levels of the nutrient.

Study: Autism Risk Factors Elusive

Research has hinted that various factors around the time of birth may raise a child's risk of autism later in life, but there is still too little evidence to point to specific culprits, a U.S. study said.
Experts have long believed that genes play a key role in autism risk, but a U.S. study released last week found that genes appeared to explain a much smaller portion of the risk than previously suggested.
The latest study, a review published in Pediatrics of 40 previous studies, found that factors including low birth weight, fetal distress during labor and signs of "poor condition" in the newborn, such as problems with breathing or heart rate, have been linked to the risk of autism.