Guiding OMNI Behavioral Health Solutions, LLC, as counselor and clinical director, Maria Kechaidis has a focus on solutions that meet the diverse requirements of New Jersey families. An emphasis for Maria Kechaidis is on understanding and treating people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
A recent study published in JAMA Psychiatry points to the potential benefit of taking prenatal vitamins within the first month of pregnancy. Encompassing 241 children with older siblings living with ASD, the research involved evaluation of child development from six months through three years old.
Similar to previous study findings, approximately one-fourth of children whose older siblings lived with ASD also developed autism. However, a major shift was experienced among children whose mothers had taken prenatal vitamins early in the pregnancy. Of these children, 14.1 percent went on to develop autism, as opposed to 32.7 percent of those whose mothers took no vitamin supplements.
A key conclusion was that vitamins with iron and folic acid seem to protect against autism and other developmental disorders.
