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Updated: Jan 11, 2026

Author Spotlight: Studying the Impact of Maternal Dietary Deficiencies on Long-Term Offspring Health Outcomes
03:19

Author Spotlight: Studying the Impact of Maternal Dietary Deficiencies on Long-Term Offspring Health Outcomes

Published on: June 28, 2024

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The Effect of Maternal Folic Acid Supplementation on Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Offspring: An Umbrella Review of

Miao Yu1,2, Yiming Hu2, Lei Hou2

  • 1School of Public Health, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot 010110, China.

Nutrients
|November 13, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Maternal folic acid supplementation may lower the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and behavioral problems in children. While evidence quality is low, benefits for neural tube defects (NTDs) support continued supplementation.

Area of Science:

  • Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • Neuroscience
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Maternal folic acid supplementation is crucial for preventing neural tube defects (NTDs).
  • The impact of prenatal folic acid on offspring neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) requires further clarification.
  • Existing evidence synthesis on folic acid and NDDs is fragmented.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To conduct an umbrella review evaluating the association between maternal folic acid supplementation and offspring NDDs.
  • To synthesize evidence from systematic reviews and meta-analyses on this topic.
  • To assess the quality and certainty of the available evidence.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic search of major databases (MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science) up to June 2025.
  • Inclusion of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of non-randomized studies.
  • Quality assessment using AMSTAR-2 and evidence certainty using GRADE framework.

Main Results:

  • 23 systematic reviews/meta-analyses were included; many had methodological limitations.
  • Meta-analyses suggested a protective effect: OR 0.66 for ASD, 0.86 for ADHD, 0.75 for behavioral problems.
  • No significant associations found for motor, intellectual/cognitive, or language development; conclusions were inconsistent across reviews.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal folic acid supplementation may reduce the risk of ASD, ADHD, and behavioral problems.
  • Current evidence is of low quality, necessitating further research.
  • Supplementation is justified due to established NTD prevention benefits.

Keywords:
folic acidneurodevelopmental disordersoffspringumbrella review

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