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Folic acid supplements linked to childhood asthma

Folic acid supplements taken throughout pregnancy may increase risk of childhood asthma by as much as 26 percent, researchers say.

New research out of the University of Adelaide in Australia has found that pregnant women who ingest folic acid supplements in late pregnancy may increase the risk of asthma in their children.

Researchers studied 500 Australian women, assessing their maternal diet and supplement intake at two different times during pregnancy. Afterwards, the group followed up with the mothers when the children were 3.5 years and 5.5 years old, gauging the children’s asthma status.

Previous research with mice suggested a link, and the authors believe it’s the first time that a link was found in humans.

“We believe that this is the first published study in humans to demonstrate that increasing consumption of folic acid, and specifically supplemental folate during late pregnancy, significantly increases the risk of physician-diagnosed asthma in the child at 3.5 years, persistent asthma (at 3.5 and 5.5 years), and possibly asthma at 5.5 years,” said the research team, who published their findings in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

However, the researchers cautioned that there was more work to be done before a hard link could be assumed.

“We acknowledge the need for further studies replicating our findings before any specific recommendations against folic acid supplementation in late pregnancy can be made,” said associate professor Michael Davies, who headed the research.

Asthma UK’s director of research, Leanne Metcalf, agreed that it was too early to draw conclusions based on the study data.

“As the relationship between folic acid and asthma has only recently come under scrutiny, it is important to emphasize that further research is needed before we can make any definite recommendations,” said Metcalf.

“At the moment however we can say that the benefits of taking folic acid supplements in pregnancy, particularly with regards to prevention of birth defects like spina bifida, far outweigh the risk of developing asthma, so we would advise expectant mothers to continue taking dietary supplements as directed by their doctor.”

“We know that eating healthily is vital during pregnancy, so we would strongly urge all mums-to-be to eat a healthy balanced diet and not to smoke during pregnancy to give their baby the best possible chance of a healthy, asthma-free childhood.”

         

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Dangers for children of Women who are obese

A new study has shown that women who are obese are more likely to have children with birth defects than slim mothers. Defects including the child’s heart and spina bifida. An estimated one in six pregnant women in Britain is now obese or overweight.

The Government was asked by experts to fund anti-obesity campaigns, targeting all women within an age range and for doctors to be educated about potential complications obese and overweight expectant mothers can expect.

Newcastle University researchers discovered that babies born to obese mothers were significantly more likely to suffer from abnormalities. More than twice as likely to be born with spina bifida, in which the spinal cord is incomplete, causing disability. 20 per cent more likely to be born with a cleft palate and 30 per cent more likely to have heart defects.

Dr Emily Gelson, from Imperial College, London said: “Increasing numbers of deaths are occurring in women with unknown heart disease but with known risk factors. The presence of these risk factors must be highlighted during pregnancy, promoting the timely diagnosis of unsuspected (heart) disease in pregnant women.”

“Only by raising the profession’s awareness of the possibility of heart disease in pregnant women will this alarming rise in the maternal mortality rate be arrested, and preferably, reversed.” She co-authored the report.

         

Obesity Increases Chances Of Birth Defects

Studies into obesity show that mothers are more likely to have babies with birth defects if overweight.

Senior author, Judith Rankin at Newcastle University said “We found that being obese in pregnancy can increase a woman’s risk of having a range of birth defects,”

“A further finding is that women who are overweight may also be at an increased risk, although the research evidence is not so clear and further work is needed,” she added.

The results of their findings were published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Obesity in pregnancy has been linked with gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, and is found to increase chances of blood clots, infection and risk of Cesarean delivery.

Babies born to mothers who are overweight have a higher risk of being too large and more chances of perinatal death.

Cases of spina bifida, heart defects, cleft lip and palate are also seen to rise significantly when the mother is classed as obese.

The research suggested several theories in the rise of birth defects in obese mothers which included undiagnosed diabetes, nutritional deficiencies such as a lack of folic acid, and the difficulty of performing ultrasound on larger women which may result in defects not being picked up early.

Rankin added “Birth defects occur in between 2 and 4 percent of all pregnancies, so the risk, even in obese women, remains low. If a woman who is obese is thinking of having a baby, the most important thing is to speak to their doctor and to think about their weight and diet so that they eat healthily and sensibly”