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An iron deficiency during pregnancy increases the risk of giving birth to a child with autism - with the risk increasing for older mothers. Those who have children with autism are significantly less likely to report taking iron supplements before and during their pregnancies than the mothers of children who are developing normally, U.S. researchers found. The risk of the child being born with autism - found to be associated with an iron deficiency - was five times greater when the mother was also 35 or older at the time of the child's birth. It also increases if a mother suffers from a condition such as obesity, hypertension or diabetes. Iron deficiency, or anaemia as it is known, is a condition where a lack of iron in the body leads to a reduction in the number of red blood cells. Iron is used to produce red blood cells, which help store and carry oxygen in the blood. If you have fewer red blood cells than is normal, your organs and tissues will not get as much oxygen as they usually would. Researchers said that iron is crucial in the development of a foetus' brain, meaning a deficiency in this vitamin could lead to autism. The study, from researchers at the University of California, was the first to examine the relationship between maternal iron intake and having a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).