Research finds folic acid intake may cut risk of premature birth

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. 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, the March of Dimes reported Monday.

The study links pre-conceptional folate supplementation of at least one year to reduced early premature delivery rates of 50% to 70%, regardless of age, race or other factors. Of particular note is the drop in very early premature births, those babies who are at the greatest risk of complications such as cerebral palsy, mental retardation, chronic lung disease and blindness.

“Through [National Institute of Health] trials, we received highly accurate evidence of gestational age enabling us to determine that folate supplementation for at least one year is linked to a 70% decrease in very early preterm deliveries (20 to 28 weeks gestation) and up to a 50% reduction in early preterm deliveries of 28 to 32 weeks,” stated Radek Bukowski, associate professor, in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, the lead study author.

“We already know 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,” added Alan Fleischman, SVP and medical director of the March of Dimes. “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 and reinforces our message that every woman of childbearing age should consume 400 micrograms of folic acid daily.”