Does folic acid after the first trimester help kids’ brains later?
At age 11, children whose mothers continued 400 μg/day folic acid from week 14 scored higher on processing-speed tests and showed stronger MEG language-related Beta/High Gamma responses.
Source
Effects of maternal folic acid supplementation during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy on neurocognitive development in the child: an 11-year follow-up from a randomised controlled trial
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Does folic acid after the first trimester help kids’ brains later?
These passages occur verbatim in the stored paper text. They support the points listed below; they do not verify every statement in the explanation.
68 of 119 pairs assessed at 11-year follow-up.
Of 119 mother-child pairs in the FASSTT trial, 68 children were assessed for neurocognitive performance at 11-year follow-up (Dec 2017 to Nov 2018).
Symbol search +2.9 points (p=0.03); cancellation +11.3 (p=0.04).
Children of mothers randomised to FA compared with placebo scored significantly higher in two Processing Speed tests, i.e. symbol search (mean difference 2.9 points, 95% CI 0.3 to 5.5, p = 0.03) and cancellation (11.3 points, 2.5 to 20.1, p = 0.04), whereas the positive effect on Verbal Comprehension was significant in girls only (6.5 points, 1.2 to 11.8, p = 0.03).
What they did
They followed FASSTT trial offspring in Northern Ireland with WISC cognitive testing and MEG during a language task, comparing continued FA vs placebo arms.
What they found
FA arm did better on symbol search (+2.9) and cancellation (+11.3); verbal comprehension gain was significant in girls; MEG Beta and High Gamma power increased, consistent with more efficient semantic processing.
The limits
What it doesn't show
Only 68/119 pairs were assessed; results may not generalize beyond this trial cohort or prove lifelong academic benefit.
Key terms
- Folic acid (FA)
- Synthetic folate used in pregnancy supplements.
- FASSTT
- Trial of FA in second/third trimesters vs placebo.
- WISC
- Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children cognitive battery.
- Processing speed
- How quickly a child can complete simple cognitive tasks.
- MEG
- Magnetoencephalography measuring neural magnetic fields.
- Neural tube defect (NTD)
- Early pregnancy birth defect prevented by peri-conception FA.
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FA dose in FASSTT:
Common questions
Dose and timing?
400 μg/day FA from the 14th gestational week vs placebo.
Follow-up n?
68 children at ~11 years.
Cognitive wins?
Symbol search and cancellation; verbal comprehension in girls.
Brain measure?
Higher Beta and High Gamma MEG power on a language task.
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