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Researchers have revealed that the consumption of folic acid and folic acid supplements in early pregnancy significantly reduces the risk of cleft lip and cleft palate in the babies. Earlier research has suggested that folic acid may prevent defects of the neural tube like spina bifida in newborns, but the new study indicated that women may reduce the risk of clefts by taking just 400 micrograms of folic acid a day. The researchers looked at 1,336 infants born between 1996 and 2000 in Norway and identified 377 born with cleft lip, 196 with cleft palate only, and 763 healthy babies. The mothers were asked to fill in a questionnaire regarding their dietary habits during the first three months of pregnancy. Folic acid supplements if consumed were also noted down.
Researchers said that women who took 400 micrograms of folic acid a day reduced the risk of clefting in their babies by 40 percent. Women whose diet was rich in folates also reduced the risk by 25 percent. "These findings provide further evidence of the benefits of folic acid for women," said lead researcher Alan Wilcox of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). "We already know that folic acid reduces the risk of neural tube defects, including spina bifida. Our research suggests that folic acid also helps prevent facial clefts, another common birth defect." "Eating a good diet with a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables is probably a very good thing for women who are planning to get pregnant," he added. "We shouldn't count on pills to provide everything we need. Nothing replaces a well-balanced diet." The study is published online in the British Medical Journal.
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