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By Lucy Williams, Ivanhoe Health Correspondent
ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Pregnant women and those trying to start a family have yet another reason to take folic acid supplements. When taken during early pregnancy, folic acid substantially reduces the risk of cleft lip defects in newborns.
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Previous research suggests folic acid supplements prevent neural tube defects, such as spina bifida. New research reveals women who take a daily dose of just 400 micrograms of folic acid during the first three months of pregnancy are less likely to have babies with cleft lip.
"It's pretty important that women who have any chance of getting pregnant should take the recommended dosage of folic acid, which is 400 micrograms a day," senior investigator Allen Wilcox, M.D., Ph.D., of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in Durham, N.C., told Ivanhoe. "That was the amount in our study that had a protective effect and provided some protection against neural tube defects."
Researchers identified 1,336 infants born between 1996 and 2000 -- 377 born with cleft lip, 196 with cleft palate only, and 763 healthy controls. The mothers completed surveys about their reproductive history. In the surveys, mothers revealed what they ate, drank and smoked during the first three months of pregnancy. They also disclosed whether they took folic acid supplements.
Women who took folic acid supplements of 400 micrograms or more per day reduced the risk of facial clefts in their babies by 40 percent. Women who did not take supplements but reported diets rich in folate -- the natural form of folic acid -- were 25-percent less likely to have babies with cleft lip.
Dr. Wilcox said women should boost their folic acid intake as soon as they decide to get pregnant.
"The tricky thing is it's important to be taking those doses in the very earliest weeks of pregnancy before a woman may even know she's pregnant, so women shouldn't wait to start until they're pregnant to start taking these supplements. They should start before they're pregnant," he said.
Although women who take folic acid supplements appear to benefit the most, Dr. Wilcox said it's still important to eat foods rich in folate.
"Eating a good diet with a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables is probably a very good thing for women who are planning to get pregnant," he said. "We shouldn't count on pills to provide everything we need. Nothing replaces a well-balanced diet."
According to the National Institutes of Health, dietary sources of folic acid and folate include:
Beans and legumes
Citrus fruits and juices
Wheat bran and other whole grains
Dark, green leafy vegetables
Poultry
Pork
Shellfish
Liver
Even if you're not pregnant, you can benefit from folic acid. A study published in the Jan. 20 issue of The Lancet reveals folic acid improves cognitive function in older adults. Folic acid may improve brain function by lowering levels of homocysteine -- an amino acid in the blood linked to increased risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and Alzheimer's disease.
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, which offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
SOURCE: Ivanhoe interview with Allen Wilcox, M.D., Ph.D.; British Medical Journal Online, published online Jan. 26, 2007
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