It really amazes me how much medical advice and knowledge surrounding pregnancy changes from year to year, even month to month. Just when you think you know what you need for a healthy pregnancy, someone throws a curve call. This time, that ball is coming from experts at the University of Adelaide in Australia who conducted a study on Folic acid supplements and their effects on children born to mothers who take the supplements late in pregnancy. They studied 557 expectant mothers and how many of their children had asthma three and a half and five and a half years later. They discovered that women that take Folic acid during the last weeks of pregnancy, specifically between weeks 30 and 34, increase the chances of their children having asthma by thirty percent. There did not seem to be a link between mothers who took Folic acid during the first trimester and their children’s risk of asthma.
Since this is only one study and 557 isn’t really that many participants when it comes to medical research, many are skeptical of the study’s findings. Folic acid is very important for the development of the spinal cord and brain in a baby. Low levels of Folic acid can lead to neural tube defects, such as spina bifida and anencephaly, which is a severe underdevelopment of the brain.
The most important time to take Folic acid is a few months prior to conception and during the first trimester. After the first trimester, the spine and the brain have already been formed. Neural tube defects are usually detected between 16-18 weeks gestation.
The Folic acid found in food and in your prenatal should be sufficient, especially considering the fact that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ensures that foods such as bread, cereal, rice, pasta, beans and citrus fruits are fortified with Folic acid. Most prenatal vitamins contain 100% of your daily Folic acid needs.