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Folic acid supplements risky in late pregnancy

Folic acid supplements risky in late pregnancy INTERNATIONAL Folic acid supplements risky in late pregnancy By Jane Bainbridge Although folic acid supplements are recommended in early pregancy, an Australian study has found that they may not be safe to take beyond 16 weeks gestation as there is a risk that the baby may develop asthma. whose pregnancies were affected by one of equally safe. The Society for Obstetricians Australia 30 birth defects. and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC) has According to an Australian study, women The researchers compared women who issued a fact sheet to help pregnant women taking folic acid supplements in the latter had used antibiotics before and during preg- decide on the best course of action depend- part of pregnancy may increase the risk of nancy with a control group of 4941 ran- ing on their situation. their baby being born with asthma. domly chosen women living in the same But questions still remain as to which The research found that women who geographical area, but whose babies were health professionals will take responsibility took the supplements during weeks 16–30 not affected by any defects. They found for delivering the vaccinations to pregnant of their pregnancy were 30% more likely to that 3863 mothers of children with defects women in Canada. The SOGC has said it have children with breathing problems by and 1467 control mothers used antibac- is unlikely its practitioners will be respon- the time they are three years old. terials some time between three months sible so it may take place in mass-vaccina- In total 550 mothers took part in the before pregnancy and the end of pregnancy. tion centres. research conducted by scientists at the According to the authors: University of Adelaide. They believe that Sweden folic acid may affect the growth of proteins ‘penicillin, erythromycins and which make the body’s immune system more cephalosporins were used commonly by For pregnant women the importance of eat- sensitive to allergens. pregnant women but were not associated ing a healthy diet has long been expounded Health advice is that women wanting with many birth defects’. but now research from Sweden has found a to conceive should take the supplements link between mothers-to-be eating vegetables and continue them into the first trimester and a reduced risk of their offspring develop- Canada of pregnancy to protect against neural tube ing Type 1 diabetes. defects such as spina bifida. This research As swine flu spreads further, the Public A population study ‘All Babies in Southeast does not contradict the advice for use in early Health Agency in Canada is offering its first Sweden’ (ABIS) shows that vegetable intake stages but some women take the folic acid doses of unadjuvanted H1N1 flu vaccine, in pregnancy is linked to the disease. The supplements in the later weeks of pregnancy which should prove more popular with researchers from Sahlgrenska Academy, in thinking they can do no harm, or will con- pregnant women concerned about the adju- collaboration with Linköping University, tinue to help, but this study highlights that vanted vaccine. analysed blood samples from 6000 five- this may not be the case. An adjuvant is a substance added to a vac- year-olds to check for antibodies that attack There is no suggestion that eating foods cine to improve the immune response and insulin-producing cells. Children with Type with high folic acid content such as green a dose of a vaccine with adjuvant uses less 1 diabetes cannot produce insulin. leafy vegetables and some nuts is problematic antigen. The World Health Organization Three per cent of children in the study at any stage as the findings were only linked (WHO) had advised pregnant women had fully developed Type 1 diabetes or to supplement intake. to have unadjuvanted vaccine if possible raised levels of the antibodies. Hilde Brekke, because of the lack of safety data on the vac- researcher at Sahlgrenska Academy, said risk cine for pregnant women. markers were up to twice as common in USA The Public Health Agency has started children whose mothers rarely ate vegetables A US national births defects study has found delivering the swine flu vaccination without during pregnancy. Those at lowest risk of the that some antibiotics may be linked to birth an adjuvant to the provinces and territories condition were children whose mothers ate defects, although antibacterial medicines such and has ordered 2 million doses of it. vegetables every day. as penicillin are not thought to be included. Pregnant women are considered a higher She admitted that, based on this study, it Antibiotics such as sulphonamides and nitro- at-risk group because of complications that was not certain it was vegetables them- furantoins have been identified by the research arise should they contract the virus. selves (it did not include root vegetables) as needing further investigation. However the advice is constantly being that were protective but Brekke said other A team from the Center for Disease updated as understanding increases and factors related to vegetable intake such as Control and Prevention looked at data from an expert committee advising WHO has educational attainment in the mother did more than 13 100 women across 10 states, said the vaccines with the adjuvant are not explain the link. AJM 50 AFRICAN JOURNAL OF MIDWIFERY AND WOMEN’S HEALTH, JANUARY–MARCH 2010, VOL 4, NO 1 http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png African Journal of Midwifery and Women's Health Mark Allen Group

Folic acid supplements risky in late pregnancy

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Publisher
Mark Allen Group
Copyright
Copyright © 2010 MA Healthcare Limited
ISSN
1759-7374
eISSN
2052-4293
DOI
10.12968/ajmw.2010.4.1.46314
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Abstract

INTERNATIONAL Folic acid supplements risky in late pregnancy By Jane Bainbridge Although folic acid supplements are recommended in early pregancy, an Australian study has found that they may not be safe to take beyond 16 weeks gestation as there is a risk that the baby may develop asthma. whose pregnancies were affected by one of equally safe. The Society for Obstetricians Australia 30 birth defects. and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC) has According to an Australian study, women The researchers compared women who issued a fact sheet to help pregnant women taking folic acid supplements in the latter had used antibiotics before and during preg- decide on the best course of action depend- part of pregnancy may increase the risk of nancy with a control group of 4941 ran- ing on their situation. their baby being born with asthma. domly chosen women living in the same But questions still remain as to which The research found that women who geographical area, but whose babies were health professionals will take responsibility took the supplements during weeks 16–30 not affected by any defects. They found for delivering the vaccinations to pregnant of their pregnancy were 30% more likely to that 3863 mothers of children with defects women in Canada. The SOGC has said it have children with breathing problems by and 1467 control mothers used antibac- is unlikely its practitioners will be respon- the time they are three years old. terials some time between three months sible so it may take place in mass-vaccina- In total 550 mothers took part in the before pregnancy and the end of pregnancy. tion centres. research conducted by scientists at the According to the authors: University of Adelaide. They believe that Sweden folic acid may affect the growth of proteins ‘penicillin, erythromycins and which make the body’s immune system more cephalosporins were used commonly by For pregnant women the importance of eat- sensitive to allergens. pregnant women but were not associated ing a healthy diet has long been expounded Health advice is that women wanting with many birth defects’. but now research from Sweden has found a to conceive should take the supplements link between mothers-to-be eating vegetables and continue them into the first trimester and a reduced risk of their offspring develop- Canada of pregnancy to protect against neural tube ing Type 1 diabetes. defects such as spina bifida. This research As swine flu spreads further, the Public A population study ‘All Babies in Southeast does not contradict the advice for use in early Health Agency in Canada is offering its first Sweden’ (ABIS) shows that vegetable intake stages but some women take the folic acid doses of unadjuvanted H1N1 flu vaccine, in pregnancy is linked to the disease. The supplements in the later weeks of pregnancy which should prove more popular with researchers from Sahlgrenska Academy, in thinking they can do no harm, or will con- pregnant women concerned about the adju- collaboration with Linköping University, tinue to help, but this study highlights that vanted vaccine. analysed blood samples from 6000 five- this may not be the case. An adjuvant is a substance added to a vac- year-olds to check for antibodies that attack There is no suggestion that eating foods cine to improve the immune response and insulin-producing cells. Children with Type with high folic acid content such as green a dose of a vaccine with adjuvant uses less 1 diabetes cannot produce insulin. leafy vegetables and some nuts is problematic antigen. The World Health Organization Three per cent of children in the study at any stage as the findings were only linked (WHO) had advised pregnant women had fully developed Type 1 diabetes or to supplement intake. to have unadjuvanted vaccine if possible raised levels of the antibodies. Hilde Brekke, because of the lack of safety data on the vac- researcher at Sahlgrenska Academy, said risk cine for pregnant women. markers were up to twice as common in USA The Public Health Agency has started children whose mothers rarely ate vegetables A US national births defects study has found delivering the swine flu vaccination without during pregnancy. Those at lowest risk of the that some antibiotics may be linked to birth an adjuvant to the provinces and territories condition were children whose mothers ate defects, although antibacterial medicines such and has ordered 2 million doses of it. vegetables every day. as penicillin are not thought to be included. Pregnant women are considered a higher She admitted that, based on this study, it Antibiotics such as sulphonamides and nitro- at-risk group because of complications that was not certain it was vegetables them- furantoins have been identified by the research arise should they contract the virus. selves (it did not include root vegetables) as needing further investigation. However the advice is constantly being that were protective but Brekke said other A team from the Center for Disease updated as understanding increases and factors related to vegetable intake such as Control and Prevention looked at data from an expert committee advising WHO has educational attainment in the mother did more than 13 100 women across 10 states, said the vaccines with the adjuvant are not explain the link. AJM 50 AFRICAN JOURNAL OF MIDWIFERY AND WOMEN’S HEALTH, JANUARY–MARCH 2010, VOL 4, NO 1

Journal

African Journal of Midwifery and Women's Health – Mark Allen Group

Published: Jan 1, 2010

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