Folic acid antagonist use before and during pregnancy and risk for selected birth defects.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Maternal folic acid (FA) intake before and during early pregnancy reduces the risk for neural tube defects (NTDs); evidence suggests it may also reduce the risk for oral clefts, urinary defects, and cardiac defects. We sought to re-examine the use of drugs, which affect folate metabolism, dihydrofolate reductase inhibiting (DHFRI) medications, and anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs), in data collected in the post-FA fortification era (1998+) in the Slone Birth Defects Study.

Methods

We assessed maternal DHFRI and AED use and risk for NTDs, oral clefts, and urinary and cardiac defects. We estimated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using logistic regression. We assessed daily average FA intake of ≥400 mcg as a potential effect modifier.

Results

We

SUBMITTER: Kerr SM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10938459 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature