Folic Acid Supplementation Before Conception Reduces Prematurity
We’ve known for decades that folic acid reduces the risk of neural tube defects, but now research on taking folic acid before pregnancy has revealed a new benefit. The largest study ever on pre-conception folic acid supplementation found that women who took folic acid supplements for at least a year prior to getting pregnant reduced their risk of having a preemie by at least 50%. Most importantly, the drop in very preterm deliveries (20-28 weeks) was 70%.
The study can’t be applied to all women, because it only examined singleton pregnancies, and excluded women with pre-eclampsia, hypertension or fetuses with congenital abnormalities. However, it should definitely give women more motivation to follow the March of Dimes recommendation that all women of child-bearing age should take a daily folic acid supplement.
For those of us contemplating post preemie pregnancies, I guess this another weapon in our arsenal against having another preterm birth.
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