Purpose: Folic acid supplementation has been suggested to reduce the risk of preterm birth. However, results from previous epidemiologic studies have been inconclusive. We investigated the hypothesis that folic acid supplementation and dietary folate intake during pre- and post-conception reduces the risk of preterm birth.
Methods: We analyzed data from a birth cohort study conducted between 2010 and 2012 in Lanzhou, China, including 10,179 pregnant women with live singleton births.
Results: Compared to non-users, folic acid supplement users with >12-week duration had a reduced risk of preterm birth (OR 0.67, 95 % CI 0.55-0.83) with a significant dose-response relationship (P for trend = 0.01). A similar pattern was observed for spontaneous preterm birth. Stronger associations were seen for ever use of folic acid supplement and very preterm birth (OR 0.50, 95 % CI 0.36-0.69) and spontaneous very preterm birth (OR 0.42, 95 % CI 0.29-0.63). Dietary folate intake during preconception and pregnancy were also associated with reduced risk of preterm birth (OR 0.68, 95 % CI 0.56-0.83, OR 0.57, 95 % CI 0.47-0.70 for the highest quartiles, respectively), particularly for spontaneous very preterm (OR 0.41, 95 % CI 0.24-0.72, OR 0.26, 95 % CI 0.15-0.47 for the highest quartiles, respectively). There were also decreased risks of preterm birth observed per 10-µg increase in dietary folate intake, and similar associations were found after stratification by folic acid supplementation status.
Conclusions: Our results suggest that folic acid supplementation and higher dietary folate intake during preconception and pregnancy reduces the risk of preterm birth, and the protective effect varies by preterm subtypes.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00394-015-0959-1 | DOI Listing |
Cureus
December 2024
Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maternity and Children Hospital, Hail, SAU.
Globally, obesity prevalence has progressively increased and is now at epidemic levels; this trend is mirrored in women of childbearing age. There is a high level of evidence that maternal obesity is associated with a range of adverse pregnancy complications and neonatal outcomes, such as hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), large for gestational age (LGA) fetuses, premature birth, stillbirth, cesarean section, and postpartum hemorrhage, among certain others. This systematic review aimed to comprehensively evaluate the relationship between maternal obesity and health outcomes for both mothers and infants.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Immunol
December 2024
Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry, and Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States.
The placenta is a unique organ with various immunological and endocrinological roles that modulate maternal and fetal physiology to promote maternal-fetal tolerance, pregnancy maintenance, and parturition at term. During pregnancy, the hormone prolactin (PRL) is constitutively secreted by the placenta and is necessary for implantation, progesterone support, fetal development, and overall immune modulation. While PRL is essential for pregnancy, studies suggest that elevated levels of serum PRL (hyperprolactinemia) are associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, including miscarriage, preterm birth, and preeclampsia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Individual health behaviors are associated with pregnancy outcomes, but their joint effects are rarely considered. We aimed to examine associations between combinations of first trimester health behaviors and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), normotensive adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs), and blood pressure (BP) 2-7 years after delivery.
Methods: Participants in the nuMoM2b and follow-up Heart Health Study were included.
Diabetol Metab Syndr
January 2025
The International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, No. 910, Hengshan Rd., Shanghai, 200030, China.
Background: Triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index was suggested as a possible surrogate for insulin resistance and a predictor for cardiovascular diseases and diabetes in the non-pregnant population. However, the relationship between TyG index in early pregnancy and adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs), and the contribution of pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) was still illusive.
Methods: A large retrospective cohort study involving 67,936 pregnant Chinese women between 2017 and 2022 was conducted.
Arch Gynecol Obstet
January 2025
Department of Perinatal Maternal and Child Medical Center, Shizuoka Children's Hospital, 860 Urushiyama, Aoi-Ku, Shizuoka-Shi, Shizuoka, 420-8660, Japan.
Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the usefulness of emergency cerclage for pregnant women with bulging fetal membranes, as indicated by our original noninvasive clinical scoring system.
Methods: This was a retrospective study of pregnant women who underwent emergency cerclage for bulging fetal membranes within 28 weeks. The primary outcome was the continuation of pregnancy at 34 gestational weeks in singleton pregnancies and 32 gestational weeks in twin pregnancies.
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