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Maternal Prenatal Exposures in Pregnancy and Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Insight into the Epigenetics of Drugs and Diet as Key Environmental Influences

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Personalized Food Intervention and Therapy for Autism Spectrum Disorder Management

Part of the book series: Advances in Neurobiology ((NEUROBIOL,volume 24))

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a rapidly growing global pandemic that affects an estimated 1 in 59–68 children. It is a complex disease with both genetic and environmental etiologies. Due to the rapid increase in the incidence of ASD, environmental causes for ASD are gaining attention. Efforts to probe several environmental exposures that could contribute to causing ASD are underway. In this regard, this chapter is directed towards understanding prenatal exposure to key environmental factors i.e., drugs and dietary nutrients that may act via the same molecular pathway - epigenetics as a potential etiological factor for ASD. Epigenetic regulation is a molecular mechanism known to be a significant contributor to neurodevelopmental disorders. It also offers a means to explain how environmental exposures can impact genetics. We discuss the impact of maternal exposures to certain drugs, and dietary intake, on the developing fetus during pregnancy. Maternal Exposure to some drugs during gestation are associated with a higher risk of ASD, while exposure to other dietary compounds may offer promise to rescue epigenetic regulatory insults related to ASD. However, more work in this important area is still required, nevertheless preliminary research already has important implications in the understanding, prevention and treatment of ASD.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar

    Kholoud N. Bastaki

  2. University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    Sura Alwan & Farah R. Zahir

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  1. Kholoud N. Bastaki
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  2. Sura Alwan
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  3. Farah R. Zahir
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Correspondence to Farah R. Zahir .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Food Science and Nutrition, CAMS, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman

    M. Mohamed Essa

  2. World Innovation Summit for Health WISH, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar

    M. Walid Qoronfleh

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Bastaki, K.N., Alwan, S., Zahir, F.R. (2020). Maternal Prenatal Exposures in Pregnancy and Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Insight into the Epigenetics of Drugs and Diet as Key Environmental Influences. In: Essa, M., Qoronfleh, M. (eds) Personalized Food Intervention and Therapy for Autism Spectrum Disorder Management. Advances in Neurobiology, vol 24. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-30402-7_5

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