Folic acid supplementation in pregnancy: Are there devils in the detail?

British Journal of Nutrition

Volumn 108, Issue 11, 2012, Pages 1924-1930

  Burdge, Graham C ^a   Lillycrop, Karen A ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON   (United Kingdom)

Author keywords

Disease risk; Epigenetics; Folic acid

Indexed keywords

COBALAMIN; DNA; DNA METHYLTRANSFERASE; FOLIC ACID; HISTONE; SOMATOMEDIN B;

ALLERGY; ARTICLE; COLORECTAL CANCER; CONGENITAL HEART MALFORMATION; DNA METHYLATION; EPIGENETICS; FEMALE; FOLIC ACID SUPPLEMENTATION; GENE EXPRESSION; HEALTH STATUS; HEART SEPTUM DEFECT; HISTONE MODIFICATION; HUMAN; LIVER METABOLISM; MOUSE; NEURAL TUBE DEFECT; NONHUMAN; NUTRITION; PHENOTYPE; PREGNANCY; PROGENY; RESPIRATORY TRACT DISEASE; VITAMIN SUPPLEMENTATION;

ADULT; ANIMALS; CHILD; DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS; FEMALE; FOLIC ACID; HUMANS; MALE; MATERNAL NUTRITIONAL PHYSIOLOGICAL PHENOMENA; PREGNANCY;

ANIMALIA; MUS; RATTUS;

EID: 84871300114     PISSN: 00071145     EISSN: 14752662     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1017/S0007114512003765     Document Type: Article

References (61)

1. Taruscio D, Carbone P, Granata O, et al. (2011) Folic acid and primary prevention of birth defects. Biofactors 37, 280-284.
2. Blencowe H, Cousens S, Modell B, et al. (2010) Folic acid to reduce neonatal mortality from neural tube disorders. Int J Epidemiol 39, Suppl. 1, i110-i121.
3. Hibbard BM (1964) The role of folic acid in pregnancy; with particular reference to anaemia, abruption and abortion. J Obstet Gynaecol Br Commonw 71, 529-542.
4. Mulinare J, Cordero JF, Erickson JD, et al. (1988) Periconcep-tional use of multivitamins and the occurrence of neural tube defects. JAMA 260, 3141-3145.
5. Bower C & Stanley FJ (1989) Dietary folate as a risk factor for neural-tube defects: evidence from a case-control study in Western Australia. Med J Aust 150, 613-619.
6. Werler MM, Shapiro S & Mitchell AA (1993) Periconceptional folic acid exposure and risk of occurrent neural tube defects. JAMA 269, 1257-1261.
7. Shaw GM, Schaffer D, Velie EM, et al. (1995) Periconcep-tional vitamin use, dietary folate, and the occurrence of neural tube defects. Epidemiology 6, 219-226.
8. Smithells RW, Nevin NC, Seller MJ, et al. (1983) Further experience of vitamin supplementation for prevention of neural tube defect recurrences. Lancet i, 1027-1031.
9. Group MVSR (1991) Prevention of neural tube defects: results of the Medical Research Council Vitamin Study. Lancet 338, 131-137.
10. Laurence KM, James N, Miller MH, et al. (1981) Double-blind randomised controlled trial of folate treatment before conception to prevent recurrence of neural-tube defects. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 282, 1509-1511.
11. Kirke PN, Daly LE & Elwood JH (1992) A randomised trial of low dose folic acid to prevent neural tube defects. The Irish Vitamin Study Group. Arch Dis Child 67, 1442-1446.
12. Vergel RG, Sanchez LR, Heredero BL, et al. (1990) Primary prevention of neural tube defects with folic acid supplementation: Cuban experience. Prenat Diagn 10, 149-152.
13. Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (2006) Folate and Disease Prevention. London: TSO.
14. Finer LB & Henshaw SK (2006) Disparities in rates of unintended pregnancy in the United States, 1994 and 2001. Perspect Sex Reprod Health 38, 90-96.
15. Ray JG, Singh G & Burrows RF (2004) Evidence for suboptimal use of periconceptional folic acid supplements globally. BJOG 111, 399-408.
16. Crozier SR, Robinson SM, Borland SE, et al. (2009) Do women change their health behaviours in pregnancy? Findings from the Southampton Women's Survey. Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol 23, 446-453.
17. Crider KS, Bailey LB & Berry RJ (2011) Folic acid food fortification-its history, effect, concerns, and future directions. Nutrients 3, 370-384.
18. 6, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin and Choline, pp. 196-305. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
19. Hunter R, Barnes J, Oakeley HF, et al. (1970) Toxicity of folic acid given in pharmacological doses to healthy volunteers. Lancet i, 61-63.
20. Hellstrom L (1971) Lack of toxicity of folic acid given in pharmacological doses to healthy volunteers. Lancet i, 59-61.
21. Richens A (1971) Toxicity of folic acid. Lancet i, 912.
22. Sheehy TW (1973) Folic acid: lack of toxicity. Lancet i, 37.
23. Barres R, Yan J, Egan B, et al. (2012) Acute exercise remodels promoter methylation in human skeletal muscle. Cell Metab 15, 405-411.
24. Bird A (2002) DNA methylation patterns and epigenetic memory. Genes Develop 16, 6-21.
25. Fuks F, Burgers WA, Brehm A, et al. (2000) DNA methyltrans-ferase Dnmt1 associates with histone deacetylase activity. Nat Genet 24, 88-91.
26. Rountree MR, Bachman KE & Baylin SB (2000) DNMT1 binds HDAC2 and a new co-repressor, DMAP1, to form a complex at replication foci. Nat Genet 25, 269-277.
27. Fryer AA, Nafee TM, Ismail KM, et al. (2009) LINE-1 DNA methylation is inversely correlated with cord plasma homocysteine in man: a preliminary study. Epigenetics 4, 394-398.
28. Gluckman PD, Hanson MA, Cooper C, et al. (2008) Effect of in utero and early-life conditions on adult health and disease. N Engl J Med 359, 61-73.
29. Wolff GL, Kodell RL, Moore SR, et al. (1998) Maternal epigenetics and methyl supplements affect agouti gene expression in Avy/a mice. FASEB J 12, 949-957.
30. Waterland RA, Dolinoy DC, Lin JR, et al. (2006) Maternal methyl supplements increase offspring DNA methylation at axin fused. Genesis 44, 401-406.
31. Haberg SE, London SJ, Stigum H, et al. (2009) Folic acid supplements in pregnancy and early childhood respiratory health. Arch Dis Child 94, 180-184.
32. Whitrow MJ, Moore VM, Rumbold AR, et al. (2009) Effect of supplemental folic acid in pregnancy on childhood asthma: a prospective birth cohort study. Am J Epidemiol 170, 1486-1493.
33. Dunstan JA, West C, McCarthy S, et al. (2012) The relationship between maternal folate status in pregnancy, cord blood folate levels, and allergic outcomes in early childhood. Allergy 67, 50-57.
34. Kiefte-de Jong JC, Timmermans S, Jaddoe VWV, et al. (2012) High circulating folate and vitamin B-12 concentrations in women during pregnancy are associated with increased prevalence of atopic dermatitis in their offspring. J Nutr 142, 731-738.
35. Martinussen MP, Risnes KR, Jacobsen GW, et al. (2012) Folic acid supplementation in early pregnancy and asthma in children aged 6 years. Am J Obstet Gynecol 206, 72e71-72e77.
36. Magdelijns FJH, Mommers M, Penders J, et al. (2011) Folic acid use in pregnancy and the development of atopy, asthma, and lung function in childhood. Pediatrics 128, e135-e144.
37. Bekkers MBM, Elstgeest LEM, Scholtens S, et al. (2012) Maternal use of folic acid supplements during pregnancy, and childhood respiratory health and atopy. Eur Respir J 39, 1468-1474.
38. Matsui EC & Matsui W (2009) Higher serum folate levels are associated with a lower risk of atopy and wheeze. J Allergy Clin Immunol 123, 1253-1259.e2.
39. Hollingsworth JW, Maruoka S, Boon K, et al. (2008) In utero supplementation with methyl donors enhances allergic airway disease in mice. J Clin Invest 118, 3462-3469.
40. Lewis SJ, Leary S, Davey Smith G, et al. (2009) Body composition at age 9 years, maternal folate intake during pregnancy and methyltetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T genotype. Br J Nutr 102, 493-496.
41. Stewart CP, Christian P, Schulze KJ, et al. (2011) Low maternal vitamin B-12 status is associated with offspring insulin resistance regardless of antenatal micronutrient supplementation in rural Nepal. J Nutr 141, 1912-1917.
42. Yajnik CS, Deshpande SS, Jackson AA, et al. (2008) Vitamin B(12) and folate concentrations during pregnancy and insulin resistance in the offspring: the Pune Maternal Nutrition Study. Diabetologia 51, 29-38.
43. Hoyo C, Murtha AP, Schildkraut JM, et al. (2011) Methylation variation at IGF2 differentially methylated regions and maternal folic acid use before and during pregnancy. Epigenetics 6, 928-936.
44. Bertram CE & Hanson MA (2001) Animal models and programming of the metabolic syndrome. Br Med Bull 60, 103-121.
45. Lillycrop KA, Phillips ES, Jackson AA, et al. (2005) Dietary protein restriction of pregnant rats induces and folic acid supplementation prevents epigenetic modification of hepatic gene expression in the offspring. J Nutr 135, 1382-1386.
46. Lillycrop KA, Phillips ES, Torrens C, et al. (2008) Feeding pregnant rats a protein-restricted diet persistently alters the methylation of specific cytosines in the hepatic PPARalpha promoter of the offspring. Br J Nutr 100, 278-282.
47. Lillycrop KA, Rodford J, Garratt ES, et al. (2010) Maternal protein restriction with or without folic acid supplementation during pregnancy alters the hepatic transcriptome in adult male rats. Br J Nutr 103, 1711-1719.
48. Hoile SP, Lillycrop KA, Grenfell LR, et al. (2012) Increasing the folic acid content of maternal or post-weaning diets induces differential changes in phosphoenolpyruvate car-boxykinase mRNA expression and promoter methylation in rats. Br J Nutr 108, 852-857.
49. Chmurzynska A, Stachowiak M, Gawecki J, et al. (2012) Protein and folic acid content in the maternal diet determine lipid metabolism and response to high-fat feeding in rat progeny in an age-dependent manner. Genes Nutr 7, 223-234.
50. Chmurzynska A & Malinowska AM (2011) Homocysteine homeostasis in the rat is maintained by compensatory changes in cystathionine beta-synthase, betaine-homocys-teine methyltransferase, and phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase gene transcription occurring in response to maternal protein and folic acid intake during pregnancy and fat intake after weaning. Nutr Res 31, 572-578.
51. Torrens C, Brawley L, Anthony FW, et al. (2006) Folate supplementation during pregnancy improves offspring cardiovascular dysfunction induced by protein restriction. Hypertension 47, 982-987.
52. Burdge GC, Lillycrop KA, Jackson AA, et al. (2008) The nature of the growth pattern and of the metabolic response to fasting in the rat are dependent upon the dietary protein and folic acid intakes of their pregnant dams and post-weaning fat consumption. Br J Nutr 99, 540-549.
53. Mason JB, Dickstein A, Jacques PF, et al. (2007) A temporal association between folic acid fortification and an increase in colorectal cancer rates may be illuminating important biological principles: a hypothesis. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 16, 1325-1329.
54. Milne E, Royle JA, Miller M, et al. (2010) Maternal folate and other vitamin supplementation during pregnancy and risk of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in the offspring. Int J Cancer 126, 2690-2699.
55. Ly A, Lee H, Chen J, et al. (2011) Effect of maternal and postweaning folic acid supplementation on mammary tumor risk in the offspring. Cancer Res 71, 988-997.
56. Sie KKY, Chen J, Sohn K-J, et al. (2009) Folic acid supplementation provided in utero and during lactation reduces the number of terminal end buds of the developing mammary glands in the offspring. Cancer Lett 280, 72-77.
57. Sie KKY, Medline A, van Weel J, et al. (2011) Effect of maternal and postweaning folic acid supplementation on colorectal cancer risk in the offspring. Gut 60, 1687-1694.
58. Botto LD, Mulinare J & Erickson JD (2000) Occurrence of congenital heart defects in relation to maternal mulitivitamin use. Am J Epidemiol 151, 878-884.
59. Czeizel AE (1998) Periconceptional folic acid containing multivitamin supplementation. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 78, 151-161.
60. Caldwell PT, Manziello A, Howard J, et al. (2010) Gene expression profiling in the fetal cardiac tissue after folate and low-dose trichloroethylene exposure. Birth Defects Res A Clin Mol Teratol 88, 111-127.
61. Banhidy F, Dakhlaoui A, Puho EH, et al. (2011) Is there a reduction of congenital abnormalities in the offspring of diabetic pregnant women after folic acid supplementation? A population-based case-control study. Congenit Anom 51, 80-86.