A case-control study found a U-shaped association between maternal folate levels during pregnancy and the risk of congenital heart defects in children. The study included 129 cases of children with ventricular septal defects and 516 controls. The study was published in JAMA Network Open.
According to the researchers, led by Jie Li of Southern Medical University, the risk of developing congenital heart disease increased threefold if the mother had low folate levels during pregnancy, and by 81 percent if she had high folate levels, compared with children whose mothers maintained optimal folate levels in their blood. In addition, the analysis showed that the adverse association between low and high maternal folate levels and the risk of heart disease in children was further strengthened by vitamin B12 deficiency and high homocysteine levels.