Folic Acid News and Research

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Folic acid is a B vitamin. It helps the body make healthy new cells. Everyone needs folic acid. For women who may get pregnant, it is really important. When a woman has enough folic acid in her body before and during pregnancy, it can prevent major birth defects of her baby's brain or spine.

Foods with folic acid in them include leafy green vegetables, fruits, dried beans, peas and nuts. Enriched breads, cereals and other grain products also contain folic acid. If you don't get enough folic acid from the foods you eat, you can also take it as a dietary supplement.

Researchers use machine learning to shed light on genetic mutations linked with spina bifida

Weill Cornell Medicine researchers are using machine learning, a form of artificial intelligence, to shed light on genetic mutations associated with spina bifida.

20 Dec 2021

Maternal anemia during pregnancy may increase risk of childhood anemia

Babies born to women with anemia during pregnancy have an increased risk of childhood anemia, according to a study carried out in rural India.

2 Dec 2021

Analysis: Keto diets place pregnant women and kidney disease patients at risk of adverse health effects

In the most comprehensive analysis yet of ketogenic (keto) diets, a review in Frontiers in Nutrition finds keto diets place pregnant women and kidney disease patients at risk of adverse health effects.

3 Aug 2021

Pregnant women in South-East Asia more likely to use smokeless tobacco

Pregnant women in South-East Asia are more likely to use chewing or other kinds of smokeless tobacco than non-pregnant women of reproductive age, according to a study.

27 Jul 2021

Exploring links between stress, choline deficiency, preterm births, and mental illness

In two recent articles published in Schizophrenia Bulletin, Sharon Hunter, PhD, an associate professor in the University of Colorado School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry, and M. Camille Hoffman, MD, MSc, an associate professor in the University of Colorado School of Medicine Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, along with their research group, have uncovered a potential link between choline deficiency in Black pregnant women in the United States and increased risk of developmental and behavioral issues that can evolve into mental illness later in their children's lives.

7 Jul 2021

Which vitamins and minerals help with COVID?

A study published in the journal Inflammopharmacology reviewed recent data related to the role of vitamins and minerals in treating COVID-19 patients. The primary goal of the review is to highlight the possible therapeutic role of vitamins A, B, C, D, E and K, and micronutrients as immunity boosters in COVID-19 patients.

18 Jun 2021

Digital healthcare could help deliver tailored advice to women experiencing pregnancy difficulties

Personalized coaching through a smartphone platform can help women improve their lifestyle behaviors in the period before and shortly after they become pregnant, a new study has shown.

17 Jun 2021

Scientists identify many existing drugs with antiviral activity against coronavirus

Mining the world's most comprehensive drug repurposing collection for COVID-19 therapies, scientists have identified 90 existing drugs or drug candidates with antiviral activity against the coronavirus that's driving the ongoing global pandemic.

3 Jun 2021

Fish oil supplementation during pregnancy leads to improved memory in children

Children born to mothers who took fish oil in their pregnancies have been shown to have faster problem-solving skills and better attention focus at age 10, according to findings from a study presented today at the 6th World Congress of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition.

29 May 2021

Are COVID-19 medications safe in pregnancy?

Most medications being tested today in clinical trials for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been repurposed from other indications. These are typically not tested in pregnant women. A new study, published in the journal PLOS ONE, summarizes what is known about the safety of these drugs in this group.

24 May 2021

Probiotic strain improves iron levels in healthy pregnant women

A new study published in Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica found that taking a particular probiotic strain improves iron levels in healthy pregnant women and may therefore help to prevent iron deficiency.

21 Apr 2021

New approach may lead to novel treatments for renal fibrosis

Ageing is a common factor in many diseases. So, what if it were possible to treat them by acting on the causes of ageing or, more specifically, by acting on the shortening of telomeres, the structures that protect chromosomes?

16 Mar 2021

Study shows evidence-based interventions can improve infant brain health

In the world of neurodevelopment, one thing is clear: the earlier the intervention the better. Infancy is a critical time in brain development, and neuroscientists are increasingly identifying factors that can negatively impact cognition and ones that can improve cognition early in life.

15 Mar 2021

Despite modest progress, maternal and child undernutrition remains a key health concern

The Lancet today published the latest Series on Maternal and Child Undernutrition Progress, including three new papers that build upon findings from the previous 2008 and 2013 Series, which established an evidence-based global agenda for tackling undernutrition over the past decade.

8 Mar 2021

Uninherited genetic mutations can cause spina bifida

Genetic mutations which occur naturally during the earliest stages of an embryo's development can cause the severe birth defect spina bifida, finds a new experimental study in mice led by UCL scientists.

19 Feb 2021

New review recommends a holistic approach to manage cerebral small vessel disease

Cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) is characterized by damage to the blood vessels and parenchyma in the brain. It presents as a multitude of symptoms, which makes the diagnosis difficult.

11 Feb 2021

Mothers of children with autism have many significantly different metabolite levels, study finds

Now, a study by researchers at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Arizona State University, and the Mayo Clinic found that mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder had several marked different metabolite levels two to five years after they gave birth compared to mothers of normally developing children.

17 Jan 2021

Higher temperatures and rainfall impact children's diet diversity

A first-of-its-kind, international study of 107,000 children finds that higher temperatures are an equal or even greater contributor to child malnutrition and low quality diets than the traditional culprits of poverty, inadequate sanitation, and poor education.

14 Jan 2021

Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025: Include grains as a healthy eating pattern at any life stage

The Grain Chain, a farm to fork coalition of stakeholders in the grain industry sector and chaired by the American Bakers Association, celebrates the recommendation published today in the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans to "consume half of your grains from whole grain sources" and the remainder from enriched grains.

29 Dec 2020

Study highlights rising infant health inequality in the U.S.

After several decades of improvement, inequality in infant health is once again on the rise in the United States, a pair of Brown University researchers has found.

8 Dec 2020