A new Australian study suggests that women who take folic acid before pregnancy may see better social outcomes, particularly in peer relationships, in their children, highlighting the importance of preconception health habits.
A new study suggests that taking folic acid before pregnancy may be linked to better social outcomes in children, with the clearest signal seen in peer relationships. Researchers writing in the European Journal of Nutrition found that children whose mothers reported preconception folic acid use had a 34% lower relative risk of peer relationship problems, while no meaningful link was seen with emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity or overall difficulty scores.
The finding adds to a wider, but mixed, body of research on folate and child development. Earlier studies have reported benefits ranging from improved language-social development to lower risks of some behavioural or neurodevelopmental problems, while others have found little or no association. Work from the Danish National Birth Cohort and other studies has also examined whether folic acid or multivitamin use in the preconception period and early pregnancy affects later behavioural outcomes, but results have not been consistent.
In the new prospective cohort study, the researchers looked at 646 children born to 563 mothers in an Australian longitudinal study. Mothers were asked whether they had taken folic acid before conception, and children’s behaviour was assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, a parent-reported screening tool that covers emotional symptoms, conduct, hyperactivity, peer relations and prosocial behaviour. The study did not measure dose, duration or blood folate levels, and it relied on self-report, which means it cannot prove cause and effect.
The association was strongest in boys and in children aged two to three years, and it remained after accounting for maternal vegetable intake and alcohol use. The authors said preconception folic acid use appeared to sit within a broader pattern of healthier behaviour before pregnancy, including stopping drinking and eating more vegetables. They said the findings support conversations about folic acid before conception in primary care and public health campaigns, but larger studies will be needed to confirm whether the link with peer problems holds up in other populations.
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