According to research published early online in the European Heart Journal, additional peri-conceptional folic acid use reduces congenital heart defect (CHD) risk in infants.

Researchers evaluated the potentially protective effects of peri-conceptional folic acid use on the risk of congenital heart defects (CHDs) relative to other non-folate related malformations. Data from a regional register (EUROCAT-Northern Netherlands) of birth defects in the Netherlands was evaluated over a 10-year period (1996 to 2005) for the case-control study. The cases were mothers who had delivered infants with isolated or complex heart defects, without any related syndrome or genetic abnormality (n = 611). The registry controls consisted of mothers of children with a known chromosomal or genetic defect, and with infants with other non-folate related congenital malformations (n = 2401).

The following results were reported:
• Peri-conceptional folic acid use revealed an odds ratio (OR) of 0.82 (95% CI 0.68–0.98) for all types of CHD relative to other malformations.
• The estimated relative risk for CHDs of additional folic acid use compared with the general population was comparable [OR 0.74 (95%CI 0.62–0.88)].
• Subgroup analysis showed an OR of 0.62 (95% CI 0.47–0.82) for isolated septal defects.

The researchers also stated that “Use of peri-conceptional folic acid supplements was related to an approximately 20% reduction in the prevalence of any CHD.