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Folic acid in pregnancy - is there a link with childhood asthma or wheeze?

Eleanor Sharland1, Brett Montgomery, Raquel Granell

  • 1Discipline of General Practice, School of Primary, Aboriginal and Rural Health Care, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia. aesharland@gmail.com

Australian Family Physician
|June 10, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Maternal folic acid exposure during pregnancy shows conflicting links to childhood asthma and wheeze. Further research is needed to clarify these associations and inform patient care.

Area of Science:

  • Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • Pediatric Allergy and Immunology
  • Nutritional Science

Background:

  • Folic acid is crucial for preventing neural tube defects in early pregnancy.
  • A potential association between late pregnancy folic acid and childhood asthma remains controversial.
  • Understanding maternal folate's impact on child respiratory health is critical.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To synthesize evidence on maternal folate exposure during pregnancy and its association with childhood asthma or wheeze.
  • To evaluate the current scientific understanding of this relationship.
  • To identify gaps in knowledge for future research.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of observational studies.
  • Analysis of four relevant studies examining maternal folate exposure and child respiratory outcomes.
  • Assessment of associations based on timing of exposure (early vs. late pregnancy).

Main Results:

  • Two studies linked late pregnancy folic acid exposure to increased childhood asthma risk.
  • One study associated early pregnancy folic acid exposure with childhood wheeze.
  • A fourth study found no significant link between dietary folate and infantile wheeze.

Conclusions:

  • Evidence on folate in pregnancy and childhood asthma/wheeze is conflicting.
  • The timing of folic acid exposure may influence the observed associations.
  • Further research is recommended to clarify risks and guide clinical recommendations.
Abstract

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