Periconceptional intake of folic acid among low-risk women in Canada: summary of a workshop aiming to align prenatal folic acid supplement composition with current expert guidelines.

Periconceptional intake of folic acid among low-risk women in Canada: summary of a workshop aiming to align prenatal folic acid supplement composition with current expert guidelines. Am J Clin Nutr. 2018 Dec 01;108(6):1357-1368 Authors: Lamers Y, MacFarlane AJ, O'Connor DL, Fontaine-Bisson B Abstract The Government of Canada and the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada both recommend a daily multivitamin supplement containing 400 µg folic acid (FA) for the primary prevention of neural tube defects among low-risk women from before conception and throughout lactation. Prenatal supplements marketed and prescribed in Canada typically exceed the recommended dose, usually providing ≥1000 µg FA/d. This high daily dose, coupled with staple-food FA fortification, has resulted in the observation of very high blood folate concentrations among reproductive-aged women consuming FA-containing supplements. The long-term consequences of high folate status on fetal development are unknown; however, evidence from animal studies and some human epidemiologic data suggest potential adverse consequences. To address this issue, a workshop was convened with the overall goal to identify challenges and solutions to aligning supplemental FA intakes with current evidence-based recommendations. Thirty-eight stakeholders from academia, industry, government, and health professional groups participated. Group discussions facilitated the identif...
Source: Am J Clin Nutr - Category: Nutrition Authors: Tags: Am J Clin Nutr Source Type: research