Maternal non-compliance with recommended folic acid supplement use alters global DNA methylation in cord blood of newborns: A cohort study.

Background & Aims: Prenatal folate exposure may alter epigenetic marks in the offspring. We aimed to evaluate associations between prenatal exposure to folic acid (FA) in preconception and in utero with cord blood DNA methylation in long interspersed nuclear element 1 (LINE-1) and Alu short interspersed nuclear elements (SINEs) as markers of global DNA methylation levels.

Methods: Data come from 325 mother-child pairs participating in the Nutrition in Early Life and Asthma (NELA) birth cohort (2015-2018).