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.

Folic acid supplementation during late pregnancy may increase risk of allergies in offspring

A new study suggests that taking folic acid in late pregnancy may increase the risk of allergies in offspring affected by intrauterine growth restriction.

21 Dec 2017

Nutritionist highlights importance of vitamin D for pregnant women and new mums

Every mother-to-be wants to ensure they do all they can to give their baby the best start in life. Growing a healthy baby starts with ensuring optimal nutrition whilst you’re pregnant.

From BetterYou Ltd 23 Oct 2017

Fever in first trimester of pregnancy increases risk for birth defects, study shows

Fevers in a mother's first trimester of pregnancy increase the baby's risk for some heart defects and facial deformities such as cleft lip or palate, but exactly how this happens is unclear. Scientists have debated whether a virus or other infection causes the defects, or if fever alone is the problem.

12 Oct 2017

Duke researchers unravel how fever in early pregnancy increases risk for heart, facial birth defects

Researchers have known for decades that fevers in the first trimester of pregnancy increase risk for some heart defects and facial deformities such as cleft lip or palate. Exactly how this happens is unclear. Scientists have debated whether a virus or other infection source causes the defects, or if fever alone is the underlying problem.

10 Oct 2017

Multivitamin use during pregnancy could protect children from autism with intellectual disabilities

Children whose mothers took multivitamins during pregnancy are roughly 30 percent less likely to develop autism with a co-occurring intellectual disability, according to a new Drexel University-led study.

5 Oct 2017

Employer-sponsored health plans spend $6 billion extra on preterm infants, study shows

A new study estimates employer-sponsored health plans spent at least $6 billion extra on infants born prematurely in 2013 and a substantial portion of that sum was spent on infants with major birth defects.

21 Sep 2017

Study finds potential preventive for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, or CIPN, is a common side effect of cancer treatment that causes shooting or burning pain, numbness, tingling and cold sensitivity of the hands and feet for many cancer patients.

13 Sep 2017

Maternal folic acid intake round conception may reduce children's pesticide-related autism risk

Researchers at UC Davis and other institutions have shown that mothers who take recommended amounts of folic acid around conception might reduce their children's pesticide-related autism risk.

8 Sep 2017

UCLA professor offers 10 tips for college students to ensure good gynecologic health

For young women heading off to college, it can be a time filled with the excitement of living away from home. This new sense of independence should also include taking charge of one's own health, says Dr. Aparna Sridhar, an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

30 Aug 2017

Novel nanolaser can serve as super-bright probe to detect and kill metastasized cancer cells

A nanolaser known as the spaser can serve as a super-bright, water-soluble, biocompatible probe capable of finding metastasized cancer cells in the bloodstream and then killing these cells, according to a new research study.

22 Aug 2017

These preventive measures might help delay dementia or cognitive decline

In a landmark report, scientists have endorsed three strategies for preventing dementia and cognitive decline associated with normal aging — being physically active, engaging in cognitive training and controlling high blood pressure.

20 Jul 2017

Research identifies main factors that influence low birth weight in Nepal

According to research, 27% of all children born in Nepal have low birth weight and over three-quarters of the new born deaths in Nepal occur in these low birth weight babies.

3 Jul 2017

UAMS scientists show potential of world's smallest laser to kill single cancer cells

A University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences research team led by Vladimir Zharov, Ph.D., D.Sc., has demonstrated the ability to kill single cancer cells using the world's smallest laser.

9 Jun 2017

New study establishes link between prenatal stress and onset of eating disorders

Stress affects the body and can trigger illness -- from psychiatric disorders to heart disease. Humans are exposed to stress at different intensities throughout life -- as children, in adolescence, and in old age. But when is the impact of stress on our systems most powerful? Many researchers maintain that the critical effect occurs prenatally, inside the womb.

1 Jun 2017

Improper methylation of cilia protein linked to increased risk of neural tube defects

Research published online in The FASEB Journal shows that the improper methylation of a protein called "Septin2," which regulates the structure of cilia, was associated with an increased risk of having a neural tube defect (NTD) and confirms that cilia are important factors in determining susceptibility of NTDs.

11 May 2017

Researchers pinpoint gene that plays crucial role in formation of neural tube defects

Researchers have identified a gene that plays a key role in the formation of neural tube defects, a problem commonly found in infants of pregnant women with diabetes.

5 May 2017

Spermidine supplement may prolong lifespan, prevent liver fibrosis and cancer

Spermidine-; a compound found in foods like aged cheese, mushrooms, soy products, legumes, corn and whole grains-; seems to prevent (at least in animal models) liver fibrosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, which is the most common type of liver cancer. There is also some evidence that it may prolong lifespan, according to a study published recently in the journal Cancer Research.

20 Apr 2017

New study finds link between neural tube defects in infants and neurodegenerative diseases

A new study has found a link between neurological birth defects in infants commonly found in pregnant women with diabetes and several neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases.

10 Apr 2017

Paternal diet affects cognitive skills of offspring, mice study shows

The father's lifestyle affects the cognitive skills of his offspring -- at least in mice. Scientists at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases have now shown that if male rodents are fed a diet rich in folic acid, methionine and vitamin B12, their progeny do not perform well in memory tests.

4 Apr 2017

Bowel cancer medication could help treat patients with early-onset Parkinson's disease, study suggests

People with certain forms of early-onset Parkinson's disease could potentially benefit from taking a medication used to treat certain forms of cancer, according to new research by University of Leicester scientists and funded by the Medical Research Council.

14 Mar 2017