Folic acid in pregnancy improves children's language

• May 1, 2024

A study conducted in Norway showed that mothers who takesupplements offolic acid before and during pregnancy reduce the risk of their children having severe language delays, theJournal of the American Medical Association.

To carry out the research, factors such as maternal education, weight and sociodemographic factors were controlled. Mothers who took other supplements, but not folic acid , did not see a reduction in risk, which indicates that folic acid has a unique effect on the development of the child.

The benefits of folic acid in protecting against neural tube defects have been documented in medical studies and this research is proof that it can also protect against other neurodevelopmental disorders.

The researchers looked at Norwegian mothers and children during the study, in part because comprehensive health care systems in Scandinavian countries such as Norway facilitate large epidemiological studies, but also because Norway does not add folic acid supplements to foods.

In Mexico, some tortillas are added with folic acid , although the doctor Alan Fleischman He stated that mothers should not rely solely on folic acid from fortified foods.

"We have always recommended supplements because fortified foods, although they give us a little folic acid, do not really reach the 400 micrograms recommended for all women of childbearing age," says Fleischman.

"We really do not yet know the mechanism by which folic acid protects against neural tube defects. But it's an additional reason why women should take supplements. "

The study followed about 40,000 Norwegian children, of whom 0.5% had a severe language delay, that is, children could pronounce only unintelligible or one-word expressions at three years.

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