Study: Folic Acid in Early Pregnancy Associated With Reduced Risk of Severe Language Delay in Children

Any decent pediatrician can tell you how important it is for expectant mothers to keep up with their prenatal vitamins during pregnancy. During this time, it’s essential that both mothers and their developing babies have access to all the vitamins, minerals and essential nutrients their bodies require.

Among the most important of these essential nutrients is folic acid, sometimes also referred to as folate, or vitamin B9—a standard component of nearly all high-quality prenatal multivitamins. It has long been generally associated with proper neurological development during gestation and early infancy, as well as possibly helping to mitigate a number of other potential health risks, such as stroke and prostate cancer, later on in life.

While there exists little dispute among medical experts regarding the overall importance of folic acid, new findings recently presented by research scientists working with the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, in Oslo, suggest however that the role it plays during pre and postnatal brain development may be even more important, and specific, than previously realized.

Between 1999 and 2010, the researchers collected and analyzed data on a total of 38,954 Norwegian children (18,998 girls, 19,956 boys) and their mothers in order to assess what effect, if any, prenatal folic acid supplementation had on language acquisition by age three.

When they compared the instances of severely delayed language development among children whose mothers supplemented with prenatal vitamins which contained folic acid with those who took prenatal vitamins which did not, as well as those children whose mothers did not use any form of prenatal vitamin whatsoever, the researchers were able to show a marked link between the use of folic acid enriched vitamins and decreased risk of language delay.

In addition to its benefit to pregnant mothers and their young, folic acid plays a vital role in the general health of cellular material. Without an ample supply of folic acid, the DNA and RNA synthesis required for ongoing cell replication and maintenance. Long term folate deficiency has also been linked to clinical depression and similar mental health conditions in adults.

Even armed with this knowledge, getting enough folic acid from diet alone can be difficult. Even more so for women are, or trying to become, pregnant. There are of course a handful of foods with folic acid, including liver and egg yolks, plus many vegetarian-friendly options, such as leafy green vegetables, peas, beans and other legumes, and brewer’s yeast.

The most effective method for expectant mothers to ensure they get their recommended daily allotment of folic acid is still however a good prenatal multivitamin supplement. Unfortunately, selecting the right prenatal vitamin can be a difficult task, especially for women who prefer to use natural organic vitamins rather than their prescription only counterparts.

Perfect Prenatal Multivitamins are easily some of the finest all-natural prenatal vitamins available anywhere. The are made with whole-food sourced ingredients, so they’re easy for the body to absorb and utilize, and also contain full range of live probiotic cultures hand selected to improve pregnancy.

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