Periconceptional maternal folate status and the impact on embryonic head and brain structures: the Rotterdam Periconceptional Cohort.

Research Question: Does periconceptional maternal folate status influence the size of human embryonic head and brain structures?

Design: The study population was selected from the Rotterdam Periconceptional Cohort conducted at the Erasmus MC. Three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound scans were performed at 9 and 11 weeks of gestational age. Using 3D ultrasound datasets, head volume, head circumference, diencephalon (DTD), mesencephalon (MTD) and left/right telencephalon (TTL/TTR) measurements were performed offline using a virtual reality technique and specialized 3D software.