 News
1st February 2008
Folic acid
could prevent thousands of premature birthsThousands of premature
births could be prevented if the mothers took folic acid for at least a year before
getting pregnant, doctors have found. A major study has shown that extra
supplies of the B vitamin cut the risk of premature babies by 50 to 70 per cent.
Doctors are now advising young women to add folic acid supplements to their
daily diet - to get into the habit of taking it before they start planning a family.
Those in the UK hoping to become pregnant are already advised to take a
0.4mg supplement of folic acid every day after stopping contraception and for
the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Taking folic acid at this dose helps prevent
severe brain and spinal birth defects. But the latest study backed by the
U.S. National Institutes of Health shows long spells of taking folic acid could
reduce premature birth rates, including those born very early who are most at
risk of dying or suffering long-term disabilities. Premature babies are
classified as those born at least three weeks early, when they have spent fewer
than 37 rather than 40 weeks in the womb. However, babies born even earlier
- before 28 weeks - may be prone to medical complications, learning difficulties
or other handicaps that affect their future development. The study looked
at the use of folic acid supplements by 38,000 women, all of them pregnant with
one child and free of medical complications such as pre-eclampsia that may result
in premature delivery. It found folic acid supplementation for at least
one year led to a 70 per cent drop in very early deliveries - between 20 and 28
weeks. Lead researcher Dr Radek Bukowski, of the University of Texas, released
the findings yesterday at the 28th Annual Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine
in Dallas. Where to next? | 
