October 10, 2024

expert reaction to study looking at the association of maternal serum folate supplementation with congenital heart disease (CHD) risk in offspring

A study published in JAMA Network Open looks at maternal folate levels and congenital heart disease risk in babies.

Dr Erica D. Watson, Associate Professor in Reproductive Biology at University of Cambridge, said:

“It is important to be responsible when writing about this subject because folic acid supplementation has real benefits to fetal health, and we do not want to scare people off from taking their pregnancy vitamins!

The study indicates that maternal folic acid supplementation largely benefits the development of the baby’s heart. However, the study also shows that in some cases high folate levels in the mother’s blood was associated with an increased risk of heart defects in the baby. More research is needed to understand why this is. It is difficult to predict exactly how much folic acid is too much because genetics, metabolism, diet, and other aspects of the environment of both parents might interact to impact heart development. Importantly, moderate folic acid supplementation likely benefits fetal heart development.”

‘Maternal Serum Folate During Pregnancy and Congenital Heart Disease in Offspring’ by Qu et al., 2024 was published in JAMA Network Open at 16:00 UK time on Thursday 10^th October.

DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.38747

Declared interests

Dr Erica D. Watson “I have no conflicts of interest to declare”