A team of public health researchers from the University of Glasgow and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health has reported a possible link between some cases of autism and the mother's prenatal diet.
The research team analyzed information available in two large medical databases on thousands of mothers and their children in Norway and England.
As part of the analysis, the researchers found that women who adhered to a "healthy diet" had a 22% lower chance of having a child with autism, compared to women who followed an unhealthy diet.
The study determined that a healthy diet includes regular portions of vegetables, fruits, nuts, fish, and whole grains, and excludes foods rich in fats, processed meats, soft drinks, and refined carbohydrates.
The researchers also found that children of mothers who regularly ate a healthy diet during pregnancy were 24 percent less likely to have social and/or communication problems, regardless of autism. They noted that this association was stronger for girls than boys.
The study does not explain the link between a healthy diet and a lower chance of having a child with autism, although the researchers hypothesize that it may have something to do with how foods affect DNA or the immune system.
The study was published in the journal JAMA Network Open .