Paternal characteristics associated with maternal periconceptional use of folic acid supplementation.

Background: Maternal predictors of folic acid (FA) supplementation use to reduce offspring risk of neural tube defects are well known, while paternal determinants for maternal FA use are less known. Such knowledge is important to increase women's compliance to recommended periconceptional FA use.

Methods: In a nation-wide study of 683,785 births registered in the Medical Birth Registry of Norway during 1999-2010, the associations between paternal characteristics (age, education, occupation, country of origin) and maternal FA use were estimated by relative risks (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI), using log-binomial regression.

Supplemental folic acid in pregnancy and childhood cancer risk.

Background: We investigated the association between supplemental folic acid in pregnancy and childhood cancer in a nation-wide study of 687 406 live births in Norway, 1999-2010, and 799 children diagnosed later with cancer.

Methods: Adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) compared cancer risk in children by approximated periconceptional folic acid levels (folic acid tablets and multivitamins (0.6 mg), only folic acid (0.

Supplemental folic acid in pregnancy and maternal cancer risk.

Background: There is evidence that increased intake of folate protects against the development of several types of cancer. Some studies have, however, raised concern about the safety of folate in relation to cancer risk. Here we examined the risk of maternal cancer after intake of supplemental folic acid in pregnancy.

Tocolysis for acute preterm labor: does anything work.

The central rationale of tocolysis for preterm labor (PTL) is to delay delivery for at least 48 h to allow for transfer of the mother to a tertiary facility and for corticosteroids to induce surfactant production in fetal lungs. Beta-mimetics decrease the number of women in preterm labor giving birth within 48 h without reducing adverse neonatal outcomes. Calcium channel blockers inclusive of nifedipine decrease the adverse neonatal outcomes by significantly delaying delivery.

Preterm delivery: an overview.

Preterm delivery is the leading factor causing neonatal mortality and morbidity. We have conducted a PubMed literature search to obtain an update on the etiology, diagnostic problems and therapeutic considerations of preterm delivery. Approximately 5-10% of all births are premature.