Folic acid deficit increased risk of miscarriage in early pregnancyOctober 22, 2002Low levels of folic acid in plasma have been associated with an increased risk of miscarriage in a study published in Journal of the American Medical Association lately. On the other hand, no connection was found between high levels of folic acid and increased risk of miscarriage. In the US folic acid is added to flour to prevent pregnant women from developing a deficit of folic acid. Previous studies have shown that both deficits and surpluses of folic acid can heighten the risk of miscarriage. In Sweden today there is no folic acid additive in foodstuffs. "The result of our study can provide another piece of the puzzle for the Swedish National Food Agency to take into consideration. Those countries that add folic acid to foods can continue to do so," says Professor Sven Cnattingius at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. The findings show that miscarriages were more common among older women, smokers, and well-educated women. Miscarriages were also more frequent among individuals with a high level of consumption of coffee and alcohol, and among those have had previous miscarriages. When adjustments were made for these factors, the risk of having a miscarriage was 50 percent higher in the group with low levels of folic acid in their plasma. The study measured plasma levels of folic acid in 468 women who had miscarriages between weeks 6 and 12. The levels tested were compared with 921 control individuals who were in the same week of pregnancy. All individuals included were also interviewed using a questionnaire. The study was carried out at Uppsala University Hospital "Akademiska" between 1996 and 1998. Vetenskapsrådet (The Swedish Research Council) |
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| Related Folic Acid Current Events and Folic Acid News Articles Mortality Rates Reduced among Children Whose Mothers Received Iron-folic Acid Supplements Offspring whose mothers had been supplemented with iron-folic acid during pregnancy had dramatically reduced mortality through age 7, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. News brief: Effects of aspirin and folic acid on inflammation markers for colorectal adenomas Unexpectedly, inflammation markers do not appear to be involved with the chemopreventative effect of aspirin on colorectal adenomas, according to a brief communication published online October 12 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Essential nutrient found in eggs may help lower risk of neural tube defects Research published online in the journal Epidemiology found that higher levels of total blood choline are associated with a 2.5-fold reduction in risk for neural tube birth defects (NTDs). Anti-epilepsy drug risk on cognitive function for unborn children Interim results of a study being conducted by scientists at the University of Liverpool suggest that children aged three years and younger, who are born to women taking the anti-epileptic drug sodium valproate whilst pregnant, are likely to have an IQ of six to nine points lower than average. Irish-led research team rule out link between specific antibodies and spina bifida New research, published today in the New England Journal of Medicine, shows that a woman's risk of having a child with a neural tube defect (NTD), such as Spina Bifida, is not linked to folic acid related auto-antibodies. Brain malformations significantly associated with preterm birth, Wake Forest research shows New research out of Wake Forest University School of Medicine provides for the first time a solid scientific answer for the long-standing question of whether there is an association between preterm birth and brain malformations. UCF researcher's nanoparticles could someday lead to end of chemotherapy Nanoparticles specially engineered by University of Central Florida Assistant Professor J. Manuel Perez and his colleagues could someday target and destroy tumors, sparing patients from toxic, whole-body chemotherapies. Some neural tube defects in mice linked to enzyme deficiency Women of childbearing age can reduce the risk of having a child born with a neural tube defect such as spina bifida by eating enough folate or folic acid. However, folate prevents only about 70 percent of these defects. Folic acid to prevent congenital heart defects The Canadian policy of fortifying grain products with folic acid has already proved to be effective in preventing neural tube defects. Taking folic acid for a year before pregnancy may reduce risk of preterm birth Women who take folic acid supplements for at least one year before they become pregnant may cut their risk of having a premature baby by half, according to research published this week in the online journal, PLoS Medicine. More Folic Acid Current Events and Folic Acid News Articles |
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