Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 24, 2026
Author Spotlight: Studying the Impact of Maternal Dietary Deficiencies on Long-Term Offspring Health Outcomes
Published on: June 28, 2024
Periconceptional Folic Acid Supplementation and the Risk of Preeclampsia in Eastern Sudan: An Unmatched Case-Control
Gamal K Adam1, Nadiah AlHabardi2, Ishag Adam2
1Faculty of Medicine, Gadarif University, Gadarif, Sudan.
Purpose:
This study aimed to investigate the association between periconceptional [before conception/pregnancy (preconception) through the first trimester (around 10-14 weeks)] folic acid supplementation and the risk of preeclampsia among pregnant women in Gadarif, eastern Sudan.
Methods:
This was an unmatched case-control study (127 cases and 127 controls) conducted in 2024 at Gadarif Maternity Hospital in Gadarif, Eastern Sudan. The cases were pregnant women diagnosed with preeclampsia, while the controls were pregnant women without preeclampsia. Participants' sociodemographic and obstetrical data were assessed via a questionnaire. Multivariate binary analyses were also performed.
Results:
Women with preeclampsia were less likely to have used periconceptional folic acid supplementation (12 [9.4%]26 vs [20.5%], p = 0.016). The univariate binary analysis showed that maternal age, gravidity, overweight/obesity, and periconceptional folic acid supplementation were significantly associated with preeclampsia. However, residence, internal displacement, couples' education, maternal occupation, maternal blood group, antenatal care, anemia, and number of fetuses in the current pregnancy were not associated with preeclampsia. The multivariate binary analysis showed that primigravida (adjusted odds ratio, AOR = 6.20, 95% confidence interval, CI 3.16-12.14), not taking periconceptional folic acid supplementation (AOR = 2.24, 95% CI 1.02-4.96), and being anemic (AOR = 1.94, 95% CI 1.10-3.40) were associated with an increased risk of preeclampsia. However, maternal age and being overweight or obese were confounding factors.
Conclusion:
This study provides compelling evidence that periconceptional folic acid supplementation is significantly associated with a reduced risk of preeclampsia in eastern Sudan. It also reinforces the importance of primigravida and anemia as critical risk factors. These findings have direct public health implications, including intensified efforts to promote early, consistent folic acid supplementation, alongside targeted interventions for primigravid women and anemia management, to improve maternal and child health outcomes in the region.
