Folic Acid Supplementation and Interpregnancy Interval. Issue 3 (10th February 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Nilsen, Roy Miodini; Mastroiacovo, Pierpaolo; Gunnes, Nina; Alsaker, Elin R.; Bjørke‐Monsen, Anne Lise; Eussen, Simone J. P. M.; Haugen, Margaretha; Johannessen, Ane; Meltzer, Helle Margrete; Stoltenberg, Camilla; Ueland, Per Magne; Vollset, Stein Emil
• Is Part Of: Paediatric and perinatal epidemiology. Volume 28:Issue 3(2014)
• Page Start: 270
• Page End: 274
• Publication Date: 2014-02-10
• Subjects: Pediatrics -- Periodicals; Perinatology -- Periodicals; Pediatric epidemiology -- Periodicals; Infants (Newborn) -- Diseases -- Periodicals; 618.92
• DOI: 10.1111/ppe.12111
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0269-5022

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title>Abstract</title> <sec id="ppe12111-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Background</title> <p>Maternal folic acid supplementation between subsequent pregnancies may be important to reduce the risk of low folate status associated with short interpregnancy intervals. We examined how the prevalence of preconception folic acid use for a given pregnancy in Norwegian women varied according to the time interval from the previous pregnancy.</p> </sec> <sec id="ppe12111-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Methods</title> <p>Analysis was based on 48 855 pairs of pregnancies with the second pregnancy included in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (birth years 1999–2009). Interpregnancy interval was defined as the time from birth of a child to the conception of the subsequent sibling. Preconception folic acid use was defined as any use of folic acid‐containing supplements within the last 4 weeks before the second pregnancy.</p> </sec> <sec id="ppe12111-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>The prevalence of preconception folic acid use was 31%. Among women with a term birth (≥37 weeks) in the previous pregnancy (92%), those with interpregnancy intervals ≤12 and ≥49 months were associated with up to 35% lower prevalence of preconception folic acid use for the second pregnancy, relative to the reference group (13–24 months). The low use in short intervals was mainly attributable to lower proportion of planned pregnancies and fewer women with higher education. Among women with a preterm birth (<37 weeks) in the previous pregnancy (8%), preconception folic acid use significantly decreased with increasing pregnancy spacing.</p> </sec> <sec id="ppe12111-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusions</title> <p>Our finding of a lower preconception folic acid use in women with both short and long interpregnancy intervals might help identifying those with higher risk of folate deficiency and preventing unwanted pregnancy outcomes.</p> </sec> </abstract>