Association of Prenatal Exposure to Population-Wide Folic Acid Fortification With Altered Cerebral Cortex Maturation in Youths.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

Presently, 81 countries mandate the fortification of grain products with folic acid to lessen the risk of neural tube defects in the developing fetus. Epidemiologic data on severe mental illness suggest potentially broader effects of prenatal folate exposure on postnatal brain development, but this link remains unsubstantiated by biological evidence.

Objective

To evaluate associations among fetal folic acid exposure, cortical maturation, and psychiatric risk in youths.

Design, setting, and participants

A retrospective, observational clinical cohort study was conducted at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) among 292 youths 8 to 18 years of age born between January 1993 and December 2001 (inclusive of folic acid fortification rollout ±3.5 years) with normat

SUBMITTER: Eryilmaz H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6142921 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature