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Food Science and Human Wellness 2021, 10(2): 197-204 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fshw.2021.02.009
Research Article | Open Access | Issue | Published: 22 March 2021

The association between folic acid supplementation, maternal folate during pregnancy and intelligence development in infants: a prospective cohort study

Show Author's Information Shaokang Wanga,  Jie Weia,  Di Wanga,  Li Huab,  Da Pana,  Lingmeng Fua,  Jin Yanga,  Guiju Suna( )
Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Engineering of Ministry of Education, and Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, school of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
Jurong Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Zhenjiang, China

Peer review under responsibility of KeAi Communications Co., Ltd

Keywords:
Folic acid, Vitamin B12, Homocysteine, Intelligent development
Cite this article:
Wang S, Wei J, Wang D, et al. The association between folic acid supplementation, maternal folate during pregnancy and intelligence development in infants: a prospective cohort study. Food Science and Human Wellness, 2021, 10(2): 197-204. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fshw.2021.02.009
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Abstract Full text About this article
Objective

The study aimed to explore the association between folic acid supplementation, maternal nutritional levels during pregnancy and intelligence development of infants.

Method

This was a prospective cohort study, mothers and their offspring in Jurong Maternal and Child Health Hospital were followed up through pregnancy up to 1 year. The basic information of pregnant women was obtained through questionnaire survey, including pregnancy lifestyle, marital status, vitamin and mineral supplements during pregnancy. Blood samples of pregnant women were collected on admission, serum folate, vitamin B12 and homocysteine concentrations were determined. Maternal postpartum colostrum was collected and the concentrations of folate and vitamin B12 in colostrum were determined. Pregnant women (n=478) and their corresponding infants were followed up and the Developmental Screen Test scores were recorded at 1, 3, 6, 8 and 12 months of age.

Results

Compared with the normal group, infants in the low serum folate group had a score of 0.12 points lower in the intellectual energy zone (95% CI: -0.23 – -0.01, P=0.04), and infants with the high homocysteine level scored 1.30 points lower than the lower-level group (95% CI: -2.52 – -0.08, P=0.04). In the colostrum low-vitamin B12 level group, infants scored 0.10 points lower (95% CI: -1.84 – -0.02, P=0.02) in the social adaptation zone compared to the normal group.

Conclusion

In conclusion, folic acid supplementation in the pre-pregnancy supplementation group and the post-pregnancy supplementation group may be not associated with infant mental development. In addition, maternal folate and homocysteine may be related to the intellectual development of infants. The level of vitamin B12 in colostrum may be associated with infants' social adaptive capacity. This result may be caused by individual differences in folate and homocysteine metabolism in pregnant women.


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Abstract
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Outline
About this article

The association between folic acid supplementation, maternal folate during pregnancy and intelligence development in infants: a prospective cohort study

Show Author's information Shaokang Wanga, Jie Weia, Di Wanga, Li Huab, Da Pana, Lingmeng Fua, Jin Yanga, Guiju Suna( )
Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Engineering of Ministry of Education, and Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, school of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
Jurong Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Zhenjiang, China

Peer review under responsibility of KeAi Communications Co., Ltd

Abstract

Objective

The study aimed to explore the association between folic acid supplementation, maternal nutritional levels during pregnancy and intelligence development of infants.

Method

This was a prospective cohort study, mothers and their offspring in Jurong Maternal and Child Health Hospital were followed up through pregnancy up to 1 year. The basic information of pregnant women was obtained through questionnaire survey, including pregnancy lifestyle, marital status, vitamin and mineral supplements during pregnancy. Blood samples of pregnant women were collected on admission, serum folate, vitamin B12 and homocysteine concentrations were determined. Maternal postpartum colostrum was collected and the concentrations of folate and vitamin B12 in colostrum were determined. Pregnant women (n=478) and their corresponding infants were followed up and the Developmental Screen Test scores were recorded at 1, 3, 6, 8 and 12 months of age.

Results

Compared with the normal group, infants in the low serum folate group had a score of 0.12 points lower in the intellectual energy zone (95% CI: -0.23 – -0.01, P=0.04), and infants with the high homocysteine level scored 1.30 points lower than the lower-level group (95% CI: -2.52 – -0.08, P=0.04). In the colostrum low-vitamin B12 level group, infants scored 0.10 points lower (95% CI: -1.84 – -0.02, P=0.02) in the social adaptation zone compared to the normal group.

Conclusion

In conclusion, folic acid supplementation in the pre-pregnancy supplementation group and the post-pregnancy supplementation group may be not associated with infant mental development. In addition, maternal folate and homocysteine may be related to the intellectual development of infants. The level of vitamin B12 in colostrum may be associated with infants' social adaptive capacity. This result may be caused by individual differences in folate and homocysteine metabolism in pregnant women.

Keywords: Folic acid, Vitamin B12, Homocysteine, Intelligent development

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Publication history

Received: 10 June 2020
Revised: 04 August 2020
Accepted: 09 August 2020
Published: 22 March 2021
Issue date: March 2021

Copyright

© 2021 Beijing Academy of Food Sciences.

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Nutrition Research Foundation of Chinese Nutrition Society ---Research Fund of Feihe Physical Nutrition and Health (Grant No: CNS-Feihe2018B01), and Nanjing medical science and technology development fund (Grant No: YKK19127).

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This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

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