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Updated: Jun 19, 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

Lower maternal folate status in early pregnancy is associated with childhood hyperactivity and peer problems in

Wolff Schlotz1, Alexander Jones, David I W Phillips

  • 1MRC Epidemiology Resource Centre, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK. ws@southampton.ac.uk

Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, and Allied Disciplines
|October 31, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Maternal folate status in early pregnancy is linked to fetal brain development and childhood behavioral issues like hyperactivity. Lower folate may negatively impact brain growth, potentially affecting behavior.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Nutritional Science

Background:

  • Maternal nutrition significantly influences fetal brain development and offspring psychopathology.
  • Folate is crucial for neural development, and its deficiency may have long-term consequences.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between maternal folate status and dietary intake during pregnancy with fetal brain growth and childhood behavioral difficulties.
  • To explore the potential mediating role of fetal brain growth in the relationship between maternal folate and offspring behavior.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective cohort study measuring maternal red blood cell folate (RCF) and total folate intake (TFI) in early and late pregnancy.
  • Assessed offspring head circumference and body weight at birth and infancy.
  • Utilized the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire for childhood behavioral assessments at a mean age of 8.75 years.

Main Results:

  • Lower maternal RCF and TFI in early pregnancy correlated with increased childhood hyperactivity and peer problems.
  • Maternal RCF was positively associated with fetal head circumference at birth.
  • Mediation analysis indicated that reduced fetal brain growth partially explained the link between low folate and behavioral issues.

Conclusions:

  • Preliminary evidence suggests that insufficient folate status in early pregnancy may impede fetal brain development.
  • This impairment could contribute to hyperactivity/inattention and peer problems in childhood.
  • Findings highlight the importance of adequate maternal folate intake for optimal neurodevelopment.
Abstract

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