Continuous maternal folic acid supplementation during the pre-conceptional and prenatal periods may decrease the risk of autism in offspring, according to new research from China.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office has issued a report on prenatal supplements, which includes data on the testing of 12 different products and some wide-ranging recommendations calling for greater FDA oversight.
The supplementation of vitamin B12 and folic acid in toddlers has reduced their plasma concentrations of fasting total homocysteine (tHcy) – an amino acid that is linked to cardiometabolic diseases when in elevated levels.
A narrative review investigating the benefits and risks of high-dose folic acid for women with pre-existing diabetes in periconception concludes doses of 4mg folate a day or 5mg every second day are warranted, taking individualised needs into consideration.
Folic acid supplementation during pregnancy is associated with a lower risk of obesity among children born small for gestational age (SGA) by the time they are pre-schoolers, a new study reports.
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Dietary supplementation of folic acid and iodine could boost fertility rate, while evening primrose oil is associated with a longer time to pregnancy (TTP), say Singapore researchers.
Policymakers need to review the current methods of ensuring folate sufficiency among women of childbearing age, said a group of Australian researchers who found that food and supplements could not provide optimal folate intake.
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Trade body Natural Health Products New Zealand (NHPNZ) said it would object the government’s recommendation to schedule products containing over 500mcg of levomefolate as pharmacy-only products, explaining that this could hamper export opportunities.
The maternal health dietary supplements category is diversifying with the introduction of products containing probiotics and algal oil DHA – although multivitamins and folic acid remain the mainstays.
The New Zealand food industry is calling for an updated national nutrition study to find out accurate folic acid intake levels in order to ensure that the government is not ’flying blind’ in its recent decision to mandate the addition of this to flour.
Women taking folic acid supplementation during early pregnancy have children who are 43 per cent less likely to develop autism, according to a new meta-analysis.
A group of researchers has recommended a weekly supplementation of folic acid at 2.8mg in Malaysian women of child-bearing age, in order to prevent neural tube defects (NTDs) in their babies should they become pregnant.
The New Zealand government is proposing to fortify staples such as wheat flour with folic acid to reduce the cases of neural tube defects (NTDs), including spina bifida, in newborns.
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Folic acid is the most popular supplement with pregnant Japanese women, according to a survey conducted by Beanstalk Snow, a Japanese manufacturer of infant nutrition products.
Pakistani women require a multifaceted solution to the prevalence of iron deficiency anaemia (IDA), according to researchers in Pakistan and Australia.
Australian research on animals suggests that folic acid taken in late pregnancy could reduce the natural protection from allergies that offspring have as a result of a common complication in about 10% of pregnancies.
Prenatal folic acid supplementation for at least six months could lower the risk of postpartum depression in Chinese women, according to researchers in China.
Unmetabolised folic acid (UMFA) may reduce the uptake of the bioactive form of the vitamin, suggests recent research in the Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology.
About two-thirds of expectant and breastfeeding mothers in New Zealand do not consume sufficient folic acid or iodine, say researchers from the University of Otago.
Taking a multivitamin during pregnancy is associated with a lower risk of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in children, says a new study. However, researchers warn that evidence is not yet sufficient to change policies or healthcare practices.
Quatrefolic, the metabolically active form of folate, has been granted approval as a certified food additive by the South Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS).
Supplementing diets with 400mg of folic acid daily for 12 months significantly improved cognitive performance and reduced inflammation among elderly people with mild cognitive impairment.
Text message reminders provide an effective way of promoting folic acid supplementation to help prevent neural tube defects among pregnant women in rural China, a new study has found.
Pharmacists in South East Asia need to play a pivotal role in guiding pregnant women to take the correct supplements and combat the widespread ‘misinformation’ that is available online.
Major brands and millers have agreed to fortify wheat flour with iron, folic acid and vitamin B12 under India’s drive to boost nutrition levels through a mass fortification programme.
While the rest of the world celebrated Valentine’s Day with hearts and flowers, the Thai government handed out “very magical” vitamin supplements to encourage prospective mothers to boost the country’s birth rate.
Dietary supplementation appears to be common among Chinese mothers during pregnancy, but intake of folic acid is well below the recommended national and global guidelines, while overall supplement use after giving birth is relatively low.
Pregnant women should take more micronutrients aside from iron and folic acid to boost the long-term cognitive development of their children, according to a major follow-up study from Indonesia.
Australian women are well aware that folic acid (PFS) and iodine (IS) are recommended supplements to take during pregnancy, but only a quarter of them adhere to the recommendations, scientists report.
The New Zealand Government is seeking to further delay a decision on folic acid fortification citing a need to consult and review more scientific data.
Consumption of B vitamins during pregnancy does not increase the risk of allergy in the infants, says a new study from Japan that challenges previous findings.
A Medical Journal of Australia study has found blood folate levels have increased in the Australian population after mandatory folic acid fortification of bread products was introduced in September, 2009.
