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Updated: Jul 14, 2026

Modifying Levels of Maternal Dietary Folic Acid or Choline to Study the Impact of Deficiencies on Offspring Health Outcomes
03:19

Modifying Levels of Maternal Dietary Folic Acid or Choline to Study the Impact of Deficiencies on Offspring Health Outcomes

Published on: June 28, 2024

Endothelial function in newborn infants is related to folate levels and birth weight

Helena Martin1, Bo Lindblad, Mikael Norman

  • 1Department of Woman and Child Health, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. helena.martin@ki.se

Pediatrics
|June 5, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Maternal folate levels impact infant vascular endothelial function. Lower maternal folate is linked to poorer endothelial function in newborns, highlighting folate

Area of Science:

  • Perinatal medicine
  • Cardiovascular research
  • Nutritional science

Background:

  • Low maternal folate during pregnancy is linked to low birth weight.
  • Low birth weight is a risk factor for adult cardiovascular disease.
  • Vascular endothelial function is crucial in early cardiovascular disease development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between red blood cell folate levels, birth weight, and vascular endothelial function in newborns.
  • To determine if maternal folate status influences infant endothelial function.

Main Methods:

  • Studied 82 infants (30 low birth weight) and their mothers.
  • Measured skin perfusion using laser Doppler during acetylcholine iontophoresis.
  • Assessed red blood cell folate, vitamin B12, and homocysteine levels.

Main Results:

  • Low birth weight infants had significantly lower acetylcholine-induced skin perfusion than controls.
  • Neonatal acetylcholine response correlated with red blood cell folate in infants and mothers.
  • Mothers of low birth weight infants had lower folate levels than mothers of control infants.
  • Low birth weight and red blood cell folate independently predicted endothelial function in infants.

Conclusions:

  • This study provides the first evidence linking folate levels to vascular endothelial function in newborn infants.
  • Maternal folate status appears to play a role in neonatal endothelial health, independent of infant folate levels.
Abstract

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