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Higher maternal plasma folate but not vitamin B-12 concentrations during pregnancy are associated with better cognitive function scores in 9- to 10- year-old children in South India.

ABSTRACT: Folate and vitamin B-12 are essential for normal brain development. Few studies have examined the relationship of maternal folate and vitamin B-12 status during pregnancy and offspring cognitive function. To test the hypothesis that lower maternal plasma folate and vitamin B-12 concentrations and higher plasma homocysteine concentrations during pregnancy are associated with poorer neurodevelopment, 536 children (aged 9-10 y) from the Mysore Parthenon birth cohort underwent cognitive function assessment during 2007-2008 using 3 core tests from the Kaufman Assessment Battery, and additional tests measuring learning, long-term storage/retrieval, attention and concentration, and visuo-spatial and verbal abilities. Maternal folate, vitamin B-12, and homocysteine concentrations were measured at 30 +/- 2 wk gestation. During pregnancy, 4% of mothers had low folate concentrations (<7 nmol/L), 42.5% had low vitamin B-12 concentrations (<150 pmol/L), and 3% had hyperhomocysteinemia (>10 micromol/L). The children's cognitive test scores increased by 0.1-0.2 SD per SD increase across the entire range of maternal folate concentrations (P < 0.001 for all), with no apparent associations at the deficiency level. The associations with learning, long-term storage/retrieval, visuo-spatial ability, attention, and concentration were independent of the parents' education, socioeconomic status, religion, and the child's sex, age, current size, and folate and vitamin B-12 concentrations. There were no consistent associations of maternal vitamin B-12 and homocysteine concentrations with childhood cognitive performance. In this Indian population, higher maternal folate, but not vitamin B-12, concentrations during pregnancy predicted better childhood cognitive ability. It also suggests that, in terms of neurodevelopment, the concentration used to define folate deficiency may be set too low.

SUBMITTER: Veena SR

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3672847 | biostudies-literature | 2010 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Higher maternal plasma folate but not vitamin B-12 concentrations during pregnancy are associated with better cognitive function scores in 9- to 10- year-old children in South India.

Veena Sargoor R SR Krishnaveni Ghattu V GV Srinivasan Krishnamachari K Wills Andrew K AK Muthayya Sumithra S Kurpad Anura V AV Yajnik Chittaranjan S CS Fall Caroline H D CH

The Journal of nutrition 20100324 5

Folate and vitamin B-12 are essential for normal brain development. Few studies have examined the relationship of maternal folate and vitamin B-12 status during pregnancy and offspring cognitive function. To test the hypothesis that lower maternal plasma folate and vitamin B-12 concentrations and higher plasma homocysteine concentrations during pregnancy are associated with poorer neurodevelopment, 536 children (aged 9-10 y) from the Mysore Parthenon birth cohort underwent cognitive function ass ...[more]

PMID: 20335637

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Project description:BackgroundHigher circulating folate and vitamin B-12 concentrations and lower circulating homocysteine concentrations during pregnancy seem to be associated with fetal development. These micronutrients may also be associated with cardiometabolic health.ObjectiveWe examined the associations of circulating folate, vitamin B-12, and homocysteine concentrations during pregnancy and in neonates with childhood cardiometabolic outcomes.MethodsThis study was embedded in the Generation R Study, a population-based prospective cohort study from early pregnancy onward. We sampled blood in early pregnancy and cord blood. We measured cardiometabolic outcomes in the children at school age. Among 4449 children aged 10 y (median: 9.7; 95% range: 9.3, 10.7), we examined associations of plasma folate, serum vitamin B-12, and plasma homocysteine concentrations in early pregnancy and at birth with BMI, body fat distribution, heart rate, blood pressure, and insulin, glucose, and lipid concentrations, using linear regression models. Using logistic models, we examined the associations of these micronutrients with risks of overweight/obesity and clustering of cardiovascular risk factors.ResultsOne standard deviation score (SDS) higher maternal plasma folate concentration was associated with lower BMI (-0.04 SDS; 95% CI: -0.08, -0.01), android-to-gynoid fat ratio (-0.04 SDS; 95% CI: -0.07, -0.01), systolic blood pressure (-0.06 SDS; 95% CI: -0.10, -0.03), risk of overweight (OR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.78, 0.96), and clustering of cardiovascular risk factors (OR: 0.79; 95% CI: 0.68, 0.91). One SDS higher maternal serum total B-12 concentration was associated with lower glucose (-0.06 SDS; 95% CI: -0.10, -0.02) and higher HDL cholesterol concentrations (0.04 SDS; 95% CI: 0.00, 0.08). Cord blood folate, vitamin B-12, and homocysteine concentrations were not consistently associated with cardiometabolic outcomes.ConclusionsSubtle differences in circulating folate and vitamin B-12 concentrations in early pregnancy may be associated with child cardiometabolic health at age 10 y. The causality and mechanisms underlying these associations need further study.

Project description:BackgroundElevated plasma homocysteine has been found to be associated with an increased risk of osteoporosis, especially hip and vertebral fractures. The plasma concentration of homocysteine is dependent on the activities of several B vitamin-dependent enzymes, such as methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), methionine synthase (MTR), methionine synthase reductase (MTRR), and cystathionine β-synthase (CBS).ObjectivesWe investigated whether genetic variants in some of the genes involved in 1 carbon metabolism modify the association of B vitamin-related measures with bone mineral density (BMD) and strength.MethodsWe measured several B vitamins and biomarkers in participants of the Framingham Offspring Study, and performed analyses of methylmalonic acid (MMA) continuously and <210 nmol/L; pyridoxal-5'-phosphate; vitamin B-12 continuously and ≥258 pmol/L; and folate. The outcomes of interest included areal and volumetric BMD, measured by DXA and quantitative computed tomography (QCT), respectively. We evaluated associations between the bone measures and interactions of single nucleotide polymorphism with a B vitamin or biomarker in Framingham participants (n = 4310 for DXA and n = 3127 for QCT). For analysis of DXA, we validated the association results in the B-PROOF cohort (n = 1072). Bonferroni-corrected locus-wide significant thresholds were defined to account for multiple testing.ResultsThe interactions between rs2274976 and vitamin B-12 and rs34671784 and MMA <210 nmol/L were associated with lumbar spine BMD, and the interaction between rs6586281 and vitamin B-12 ≥258 pmol/L was associated with femoral neck BMD. For QCT-derived traits, 62 interactions between genetic variants and B vitamins and biomarkers were identified.ConclusionsSome genetic variants in the 1-carbon methylation pathway modify the association of B vitamin and biomarker concentrations with bone density and strength. These interactions require further replication and functional validation for a mechanistic understanding of the role of the 1-carbon metabolism pathway on BMD and risks of fracture.

Project description:Folate, vitamin B12, and homocysteine concentrations during pregnancy are important factors for early development and may persistently influence kidney function in the offspring. We examined the associations of folate, vitamin B12, and homocysteine concentrations during pregnancy with kidney outcomes in school-aged children.Population-based prospective cohort study from fetal life onward.This study was performed among 4,226 pregnant women and their children.Folate, vitamin B12, and homocysteine blood concentrations measured in early pregnancy (median gestational age, 13.2 [IQR, 12.2-14.8] weeks) and at birth (cord blood).At the median age of 6.0 (IQR, 5.9-6.3) years, we measured combined kidney volume with ultrasound, estimated glomerular filtration rate based on creatinine (eGFRcr) and cystatin C (eGFRcys) concentrations, and microalbuminuria.We observed that higher maternal folate concentrations were associated with larger childhood combined kidney volume, whereas higher maternal vitamin B12 concentrations were associated with higher childhood eGFRcys (P for both <0.05). These associations were independent of homocysteine concentrations. Higher maternal homocysteine concentrations were associated with smaller combined kidney volume and lower childhood eGFRcys (P for both < 0.05). The association of maternal homocysteine concentrations with childhood eGFRcys was largely explained by combined kidney volume. Higher cord blood homocysteine concentrations were associated with larger combined kidney volume and lower eGFRcys (P for both < 0.05). Folate, vitamin B12, or homocysteine concentrations were not associated with microalbuminuria.Observational study, so causality cannot be established.Our findings suggest that folate, vitamin B12, and homocysteine concentrations during fetal life are associated with offspring kidney development. However, effect sizes are small. Further studies to replicate these findings and assess the causality and consequences for kidney health in later life are needed.

Project description:BackgroundWomen of reproductive age (WRA) are a high-risk population for anemia and micronutrient deficiencies. However, there are few representative population-level data from India, which could help inform evidence-based recommendations and policy.ObjectiveTo conduct a population-based biomarker survey of anemia and vitamin B-12 and folate status in WRA as part of a periconceptional surveillance program in southern India.MethodsParticipants were WRA (15-40 y) who were not pregnant or lactating. Whole blood (n = 979) was analyzed for hemoglobin via a Coulter counter (Coulter HMX). Plasma, serum, and RBCs were processed and stored at -80°C or less until batch analysis. Vitamin B-12 concentrations were measured via chemiluminescence; RBC and serum folate concentrations were evaluated via microbiological assay. Anemia and severe anemia were defined as hemoglobin <12.0 g/dL and <8.0 g/dL, respectively. Vitamin B-12 deficiency and insufficiency were defined as total vitamin B-12 <148 pmol/L and <221 pmol/L, respectively. Folate deficiency and insufficiency were defined as RBC folate <305 nmol/L and <748 nmol/L. A previously developed Bayesian model was used to predict neural tube defect (NTD) prevalence per 10,000 births.ResultsA total of 41.5% of WRA had anemia and 3.0% had severe anemia. A total of 48.3% of WRA had vitamin B-12 deficiency and 74.3% had vitamin B-12 insufficiency. The prevalence of RBC folate deficiency was 7.6%, and 79.3% of WRA had RBC folate <748 nmol/L, the threshold for optimal NTD prevention. Predicted NTD prevalence per 10,000 births based on RBC folate concentrations was 20.6 (95% uncertainty interval: 16.5-25.5).ConclusionsThe substantial burden of anemia, vitamin B-12 deficiency, and RBC folate insufficiency in WRA in this setting suggests an opportunity for anemia and birth defects prevention. Findings will directly inform the development of a randomized trial for anemia and birth defects prevention in southern India.This study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT04048330.

Dataset Information

Higher maternal plasma folate but not vitamin B-12 concentrations during pregnancy are associated with better cognitive function scores in 9- to 10- year-old children in South India.

Publications

Higher maternal plasma folate but not vitamin B-12 concentrations during pregnancy are associated with better cognitive function scores in 9- to 10- year-old children in South India.

Similar Datasets

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