Folic acid may not be as effective in preventing premature birth as previously thought, finds a new study out of Norway. Also known as vitamin B9, folic acid is instrumental in producing healthy red blood cells, preventing anemia, and aiding in the rapid cell division and growth necessary in infancy and pregnancy.
Researchers used information from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study which included nearly 73,000 children and their mothers. From this group, 955 cases of spontaneous premature birth were studied, along with a control group of 18,075 women.
The study participants completed surveys regarding their folic acid intake during pregnancy, and were divided into two groups based upon whether their intake was low or high. Researchers could not find any correlation between folic acid intake and the rates of preterm labor.
These findings contradict a 2008 U.S. study, where women reduced their rates of preterm labour by up to 70 percent by taking folic acid for a year before getting pregnant.
Study author Dr. Verena Sengpiel says that the differences could be due to a number of factors, such as different study populations and genetic factors. The U.S. study also focused on the advantages of taking folic acid prior to conceiving rather than during the pregnancy itself.