Association between the Use of Folic Acid Supplements during Pregnancy and Children’s Cognitive Function at 7–9 Years of Age in the INMA Cohort Study

Laura María Compañ-Gabucio, Laura Torres-Collado, Manuela Garcia- de la Hera (), Ana Fernández-Somoano, Adonina Tardón, Jordi Julvez, Jordi Sunyer, Marisa Rebagliato, Mario Murcia, Jesús Ibarluzea, Loreto Santa-Marina and Jesús Vioque
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Laura María Compañ-Gabucio: Unidad de Epidemiología de la Nutrición (EPINUT), Departamento de Salud Pública, Historia de la Ciencia y Ginecología, Universidad Miguel Hernández (UMH), 03550 Alicante, Spain
Laura Torres-Collado: Unidad de Epidemiología de la Nutrición (EPINUT), Departamento de Salud Pública, Historia de la Ciencia y Ginecología, Universidad Miguel Hernández (UMH), 03550 Alicante, Spain
Manuela Garcia- de la Hera: Unidad de Epidemiología de la Nutrición (EPINUT), Departamento de Salud Pública, Historia de la Ciencia y Ginecología, Universidad Miguel Hernández (UMH), 03550 Alicante, Spain
Ana Fernández-Somoano: CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28034 Madrid, Spain
Adonina Tardón: CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28034 Madrid, Spain
Jordi Julvez: CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28034 Madrid, Spain
Jordi Sunyer: CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28034 Madrid, Spain
Marisa Rebagliato: CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28034 Madrid, Spain
Mario Murcia: CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28034 Madrid, Spain
Jesús Ibarluzea: CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28034 Madrid, Spain
Loreto Santa-Marina: CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28034 Madrid, Spain
Jesús Vioque: Unidad de Epidemiología de la Nutrición (EPINUT), Departamento de Salud Pública, Historia de la Ciencia y Ginecología, Universidad Miguel Hernández (UMH), 03550 Alicante, Spain

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 19, 1-20

Abstract: This study investigated the association between maternal low (<400 μg/day) or high (≥1000 μg/day) folic acid supplements (FAs) use during pregnancy and the attentional function and working memory in boys and girls at age 7–9. A longitudinal analysis based on 1609 mother–child pairs from the Spanish Infancia y Medio Ambiente Project was carried out. Multivariable regression analyses revealed that, compared to the recommended FAs use, a low FAs use during the second period of pregnancy was associated with a lower alertness in all children (β = 18.70 ms; 95% CI: 7.51; 29.89) and in girls (β = 30.01 ms; 95% CI: 12.96; 47.01), and with a lower N-back Task performance in boys (d’ number 2-back (β = −0.25; 95% CI: −0.49; 0.01)). A high FAs use throughout the two periods of pregnancy was associated with a better N-back Task performance only in girls (d’ number 2-back (β = 0.28; 95% CI: 0.01; 0.56) and d’ number 3-back (β = 0.32; 95% CI: 0.08; 0.56)). The maternal use of FAs beyond the periconceptional period may affect children’s attentional function and working memory at age 7–9 differently for boys and girls.

Keywords: folic acid; deficiency; high; birth cohort study; working memory; attentional function; sex specific (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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