Folic acid deficiency in the United States: Folate assays in a prenatal clinic

Herbert, Victor; Colman, Neville; Spivack, Morton; Ocasio, Edgar; Ghanta, Vijaya Kumar; Kimmel, Kenneth; Brenner, Lois; Freundlich, Joanne; Scott, John M.

doi:10.1016/0002-9378(75)90523-2

Cited by 41 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 39 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…A low consumption of folic acid was found in similar geographical areas by several investigators (3,8,9,10). Two factors are of importance in this respect; firstly, that Denmark is a northern country, where uncooked green vegetables are uncommon during the winter months and in the spring.…”

Section: Nssupporting

confidence: 60%

Folic Acid Supplement and Intrauterine Growth

Rolschau

Date

Kristoffersen

1979

Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The effect of a folic acid supplment on birth weight and placental weight in women delivering in the early summer in Denmark was investigated. Thirty-six women with normal pregnancy and expected delivery in the first half of June were selected consecutively. They were paired two and two, and allotted to two groups, one of which was supplied daily with 5 mg folic acid, and the second with tablets without folic acid, from the 23rd week of pregnancy. A significant correlation was found between erythrocyte folic acid and birth weight. The infants in the folic acid group were 12.7 per cent heavier than those in the control group (p less than 0.01). A similar difference was found with regard to placental weight and the number of placental cells.

show abstract

Section: Nssupporting

confidence: 60%

Folic Acid Supplement and Intrauterine Growth

Rolschau

Date

Kristoffersen

1979

Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Thus, a gene–environment interaction leading to HHC and consequent placental vascular lesions that increase the risk for preterm birth is biologically plausible and merits further study. Of even greater importance for our research, low dietary folate intake is more prevalent among low SES women 140 –142 . Since maternal vitamin supplements are moderately expensive and are not covered by either Welfare or private insurance in Quebec, it is reasonable to assume (although undocumented) that low SES pregnant women in Quebec are less likely to use these supplements.…”

Section: Determinants Of Preterm Birth and Their Relationship To Sesmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…1) as an aetiological determinant of preterm delivery. Because the available evidence suggests that low folate intake is more prevalent among low SES women, 140 –142 we believe that, as with neural tube defects, the effect of low folate may be limited to women with a genetic defect (a mutation in MTHFR).…”

Section: Relevancementioning

confidence: 99%

Socio‐economic disparities in preterm birth: causal pathways and mechanisms

Kramer

Goulet

Lydon³

et al. 2001

Paediatric Perinatal Epid

323

221

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

SummaryPreterm birth is the leading cause of infant mortality in industrialised societies. Its incidence is greatly increased among the socially disadvantaged, but the reasons for this excess are unclear and have been relatively unexplored. We hypothesise two distinct sets of causal pathways and mechanisms that may explain social disparities in preterm birth. The first set involves chronic and acute psychosocial stressors, psychological distress caused by those stressors, increased secretion of placental corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH), changes in sexual behaviours or enhanced susceptibility to bacterial vaginosis and chorioamnionitis, cigarette smoking or cocaine use, and decidual vasculopathy. The second hypothesised pathway is a gene±environment interaction based on a highly prevalent mutation in the gene for methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), combined with low folate intake from the diet and from prenatal vitamin supplements, consequent hyperhomocysteinemia, and decidual vasculopathy.We propose to test these hypothesised pathways and mechanisms in a nested casecontrol study within a prospectively recruited and followed cohort of pregnant women with singleton pregnancies who deliver at one of four Montreal hospitals that serve an ethnically and socio-economically diverse population. Following recruitment during the late first or early second trimester, participating women are seen at 24±26 weeks, when a research nurse obtains a detailed medical and obstetric history; administers several scales to assess chronic and acute stressors and psychological function; obtains blood samples for CRH, red blood cell and plasma folate, homocysteine, and DNA for the MTHFR mutation; and performs a digital and speculum examination to measure cervical length and vaginal pH and to obtain swabs for bacterial vaginosis and fetal fibronectin. After delivery, each case (delivery at 5 37 completed weeks following spontaneous onset of labour or prelabour rupture of membranes) and two controls are selected for placental pathological examination, hair analysis of cotinine, cocaine, and benzoylecgonine, and analysis of stored blood and vaginal specimens. Statistical analysis will be based on multiple logistic regression and structural equation modelling, with sequential construction of models of potential aetiological determinants and covariates to test the hypothesised causal pathways and mechanisms.The research we propose should improve understanding of the factors and processes that mediate social disparities in preterm birth. This improved understanding should help not only in developing strategies to reduce the disparities but also in suggesting preventive interventions applicable across the entire socioeconomic spectrum.

show abstract

“…About 1 in 15 pregnant women show at least transitional cells suggestive of megaloblastosis (Knipscheer, 1975). Among a poor population in New York City, 16% of pregnant women were found to have low red cell folate levels (Herbert et at., 1975).…”

Section: Folatementioning

confidence: 98%