If you’ve ever wondered whether what you eat during pregnancy truly impacts your child long- term, you’re not alone. This 2024 study out of Canada caught my attention, and as a new parent, it made me stop and think.

Published in Environmental Health Perspectives, the 2024 study followed pregnant women and their children through the MIREC birth cohort and looked at two big factors:

• How much lead moms were exposed to during pregnancy?
• How much folate (a critical B-vitamin) was in their systems?

Here’s What They Found

Children whose mothers had high lead and low folate during pregnancy showed more autistic-like behaviors later on.

Folate helped buffer the impact of lead. In other words, higher folate seemed to protect the child’s developing brain.

The effect was even stronger in boys, which lines up with other research showing that boys may be more vulnerable to certain prenatal exposures (Alampi et al., 2024).

What This Means for Us as Parents

Let’s be honest, most of us do our best to eat well, take our prenatals, and avoid the obvious no- no’s like lead paint or bad water, while pregnant. However, this study reminded me of something important: nutrition and toxins don’t exist in a vacuum. They interact.

It’s not just about what hurts our babies in the womb, it’s also about what helps protect them. Folate isn’t just a checkbox on your vitamin bottle. It’s a serious protector of your baby’s brain, especially if you’re dealing with unavoidable toxins in your environment.

Can You Get Your Folate Levels Tested?

Yes, and you absolutely have every right to request that your levels be tested! You can request a serum folate test from your OB despite it not being part of routine labs. Most doctors will order it if you ask, especially if:

• You have dietary restrictions or food aversions
• You’ve had a previous pregnancy with complications
• You’re concerned about exposure to toxins like lead
• You want to confirm your prenatal vitamins are working

Just ask your OB: “Can we check my folate levels to make sure I’m getting enough for the baby’s development?” It’s a simple blood test, and it can give you peace of mind, which to me is so worth it.

What You Can Do Now

• Keep taking a high-quality prenatal, preferably with methylated folate if you don’t absorbfolic acid well.
• Eat foods rich in natural folate like leafy greens, lentils, avocado, citrus, and beans.
• Filter your water, especially if you live in an older home with possible lead pipes.
• Be cautious around environmental toxins like pesticides, old paint, or heavily industrialized areas.
• Ask questions at your OB visits. Your voice matters.

I know it can feel overwhelming when you read things like this. But instead of panic, think of it as power. Every bite, every decision, every question you ask your provider matters.

You’re doing better than you think. And your baby’s brain? It’s got a good start because you’re paying attention.

Reference:
Alampi JD, Lanphear BP, MacFarlane AJ, Oulhote Y, Braun JM, Muckle G, Arbuckle TE, Ashley-Martin J, Hu JMY, Chen A, McCandless LC. Combined Exposure to Folate and Lead during Pregnancy and Autistic-Like Behaviors among Canadian Children from the MIREC Pregnancy and Birth Cohort. Environ Health Perspect. 2024 Oct;132(10):107003. doi: 10.1289/ EHP14479. Epub 2024 Oct 16. PMID: 39412272; PMCID: PMC11481933.