"The findings, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, appear to
be the first to link mothers' use of folic acid in pregnancy to their children's
later asthma risk.
Researchers emphasize that it is too early to give pregnant women any
specific advice based on the results. Moreover, the study does not implicate
folic acid use in early pregnancy. (italics mine)
Experts advise women to take 400 micrograms of folic acid per day shortly
before conceiving and in the first trimester of pregnancy, a critical window of
time when neural tube defects take shape. The current findings "don't
contradict" that advice, lead researcher Dr. Michael Davies, of the University
of Adelaide in Australia, told Reuters Health in an email.
However, he added, since folic acid is necessary only in the first
trimester to prevent neural tube defects, further studies should look at whether
more-specific guidelines on folic acid use during the remainder of pregnancy can
and should be developed."
In the study, they followed 400 children whose mothers had also been followed since pregnancy. The study found that children whose mothers supplemented folic acid after their 30th week were 1/4 more likely to develop asthma by age 3. (There was no link to folic acid intake from food).
I've been wondering about folic acid lately, becuase I learned previously that the folic acid really only helps fetuses during the development of their spine, which is one of the first things to develop. After that, what would the point of the boost of folic acid be? Obviously this study isn't totally conclusive since it was rather small, and the only one of it's kind thus far. Interesting, though, nonetheless.
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