ArticleThe American journal of clinical nutrition2022
Plasma unmetabolized folic acid in pregnancy and risk of autistic traits and language impairment in antiseizure medication-exposed children of women with epilepsy.
Article in The American journal of clinical nutrition, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 15 citations in OpenAlex.
- Unmetabolized Folic Acid: Biology, Epidemiology, and Clinical Consequences: A Systematic Review.Nutrients · 2026Pooled it
- Human milk unmetabolized folic acid is increased following supplementation with synthetic folic acid as compared to (6S)-5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid.Scientific reports · 2023Trial
- High-dose folic acid therapy ameliorates gut microbiota dysbiosis in reproductive-aged women with hyperhomocysteinemia.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Article
- Clinical Benefits and Safety of Multiple Micronutrient Supplementation During Preconception, Pregnancy, and Lactation: A Review.Nutrition reviews · 2025Review
- Vitamins, Vascular Health and Disease.Nutrients · 2025Review
- Does maternal genetic liability to folate deficiency influence the risk of antiseizure medication-associated language impairment and autistic traits in children of women with epilepsy?The American journal of clinical nutrition · 2023Article
- Association between the Use of Folic Acid Supplements during Pregnancy and Children's Cognitive Function at 7-9 Years of Age in the INMA Cohort Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Review
- Lowering the risk of autism spectrum disorder with folic acid: can there be too much of a good thing?The American journal of clinical nutrition · 2022Article
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundFetal exposure to unmetabolized folic acid (UMFA) during pregnancy may be associated with adverse neurodevelopment. Antiseizure medication (ASM) may interact with folate metabolism. Women with epilepsy using ASM are often recommended high-dose folic acid supplement use during pregnancy.
objectivesThe aim was to determine the association between UMFA concentrations in pregnant women with epilepsy using ASM and risk of autistic traits or language impairment in their children aged 1.5-8 y.
methodsWe included children of women with epilepsy using ASM and with plasma UMFA measurement enrolled in the Norwegian Mother, Father, and Child Cohort Study (MoBa). Data on ASM use, folic acid supplement use, autistic traits, and language impairment were obtained from parent-reported questionnaires during pregnancy and when the child was 1.5, 3, 5, and 8 y old. Plasma UMFA concentrations were measured during gestational weeks 17-19.
resultsA total of 227 ASM-exposed children of 203 women with epilepsy were included. Response rates at ages 1.5, 3, 5, and 8 y were 67% (n = 151), 54% (n = 122), 36% (n = 82), and 37% (n = 85), respectively. For 208 (94%) children, the mother reported intake of folic acid supplement. There was no association between UMFA concentrations and autistic traits score in the adjusted multiple regression analyses at age 3 y (unstandardized B: -0.01; 95% CI: -0.03, 0.004) or 8 y (unstandardized B: 0.01; 95% CI: -0.02, 0.03). Children exposed to UMFA had no increased risk of autistic traits at age 3 y [adjusted OR (aOR): 0.98; 95% CI: 0.2, 4.2] or 8 y (aOR: 0.1; 95% CI: 0.01, 1.4) compared with unexposed children. We found no association between UMFA concentrations and language impairment in children aged 1.5-8 y.
conclusionsOur findings do not support any adverse neurodevelopmental effects of UMFA exposure in utero in children of women with epilepsy using ASM.
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