Low folate during pregnancy may be linked to childhood obesity

In a study published online in JAMA Pediatrics it was found that proper maternal folate levels during pregnancy may protect children from a future risk of obesity, particularly those born to obese mothers. The study, funded by the National Institutes for Health, found an L-shaped association between maternal folate and childhood weight. An elevated risk was observed in children born to mothers in the lowest quartile of folate concentration. If the mother had not only low folate levels but was also obese the risk was higher.

Xionbin Wang, MD, MPH, ScD, from Johns Hopkins University, the study’s principal investigator, said: “our findings underscore the need to establish and ensure optimal rather than minimal maternal folate concentrations for preventing offspring adverse metabolic outcomes, especially among obese mothers.”