A new study shows that women who take acid folic supplements
for at least a year before becoming pregnant can significantly reduce their
risk of delivering a baby prematurely.
Folic acid, a B vitamin, is found in leafy green vegetables
such as spinach and turnip greens, and in fortified breads, breakfast cereal,
flours and other grain products.
The study tracked about 38,000 pregnant women between 1999
and 2002 who disclosed their folic acid intake. The researchers discovered that
women who took folic acid supplements for at least a year before pregnancy
reduce their chance for every early pre-term birth, 20 to 28 weeks into the
pregnancy, by 70 percent compared to other women.
“Thanks to the depth and breadth of the NIH study, which
included an early pregnancy ultrasound of each participant, we had highly
accurate evidence of the gestational ages of the preterm deliveries. This
evidence enabled us to determine that folate supplementation for at least one year
is linked to a 70 percent decrease in every early preterm deliveries (20 to 28
weeks in gestational age) and up to a 50 percent reduction in early preterm
deliveries of 28 to 32 weeks,” lead researcher, Radek Bukowski, an assistant
professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Texas Medical
Branch at Galveston told attendees at the 28th Annual Society for Maternal-Fetal
Medicine meeting, held in Dallas.
The findings of the study were called important by the March
of Dimes and Grain Foods Foundation, an advocacy group that works to prevent
birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality.
"We already knew that folic acid supplementation beginning before
pregnancy and continuing into the first trimester helps prevent serious birth
defects of the brain and spinal cord, such as spina bifida. Now Dr. Bukowski's
research makes us optimistic that taking folic acid for at least one year
before pregnancy also may greatly reduce the risk of premature birth. These
findings add even greater weight to March of Dimes support for the U.S. Public
Health Service's long-standing recommendation that every woman of childbearing
age consume 400 micrograms of folic acid daily. We hope this new research also
will spur more health care professionals to urge their female patients to make
folic acid part of their daily routine as a simple step toward having a healthy
baby in the future,” said Alan R. Fleischman, M.D., senior vice president and
medical director of the March of Dimes.
On January 10, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention released a note, urging all women, especially younger women ages
18-24 to keep in mind the importance of consuming 400 micrograms of folic acid
daily, “through supplements, fortified foods, or both in addition to a folate-rich
diet to prevent serious birth defect.”
Back by then, the CDC warned that among American women aged
18-45, only 40 percent take a daily supplement containing folic acid. Among
younger women aged 18-24, only 30 percent take the folic acid supplements. This
age group accounts for nearly a third of all U. S. births, the agency said.
Experts say that while there has been an increase in folic
acid consumption, it is still not sufficient. Folic acid is essential during
pregnancy in that it helps prevent the occurrence of some congenital
malformations.
