Folic Acid Not a Factor in Miscarriage Rate

Folic Acid Not a Factor in Miscarriage Rate

ATLANTA--In the Sept. 8 edition of The Lancet (358:796-800, 2001) (www.thelancet.com), researchers found no evidence that a daily intake of folic acid before and during early pregnancy increased the risk for miscarriage. The research was conducted because the effects of supplementation have showed improved health in fetuses, but it was unknown if folic acid affected the pregnancy itself. Approximately 24,000 Chinese women, who had recently taken part in a folic acid campaign, took folate before and during the first trimester and experienced a miscarriage rate of 9 percent compared to 9.3 percent for women who had not taken the supplement. Researchers, led by JacquelineGindler, M.D., at the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, based here, concluded that there was no evidence that daily folate supplementation led to a higher risk for miscarriage.