Study Found Link Between Folic Acid And Reduced Rate Of Congenital Heart Defect

Pregnant women or those who are considering becoming pregnant are often advised to include folic acid supplements in their diet to avoid neural tube defects in fetus. Now, a recent study has found that having vitamin B is also connected with a decreased rate of congenital heart defects.

An article from Medical Daily said that folic acid is a vitamin B used by the human body to do several biological functions. It is also important to remember that since vitamin B is a water-soluble vitamin, the amount not used in the body will be excreted through urine, you should make sure that you have a constant supply of the vitamin through the food that you eat.

The study analyzed data from about 6 million Canadian births from the years 1990 to 2011. After controlling for outside factors that may influence the study like maternal age, multiple births, pregnancy complications, prenatal diagnosis and pregnancy terminations, researchers discovered that folic acid food fortification was related to an 11 percent decrease in the rates of congenital heart defect in general.

"Our study examined the effect of folic acid food fortification on each specific subtype of congenital heart disease based on the Canadian experience before and after food fortification was made mandatory in 1998," K.S. Joseph, the study's senior author and professor at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, said in a press release.

Also, a report from Fox News revealed that an addition to the 11 percent reduction rates, researchers also found that folic acid also gave a 27 percent reduced rate in severe heart outflow tract abnormalities, 23 percent reduced number in a narrowing of the aorta and a 15 percent reduction in atrial and ventricular septal defects.

However, the study did not find any changes in defect related to the number of chromosomes in an infant. In the United States, there at least 650,000 to 1.3 million children and adults who suffer from congenital heart disease, with ventricular septal defects being known as the most common in children which accounts for nearly 620,000 cases.

Meanwhile, Science Daily reported that Canada mandated to add folic acid to all types of flour, enriched pasta and cornmeal in 1998 in an effort to avoid neural tube defects. Authors of the study also said that the findings can be applied to the United States population because the U.S. enacted the same order at about the same time.

Make sure you're tuned in to Science World Report for the latest news and updates on folic acid and how to reduce the risk of having congenital heart defect.