OBJECTIVE Periconceptional use of folic acid can prevent birth defects, including at least 50% of neural tube defects. This study used an ongoing surveillance system to explore the association between pregnancy intendedness and women taking periconceptional folic acid. METHODS Oregon Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) surveys a stratified random sample of women after a live b...

OBJECTIVE To understand the periconceptional use of folic acid and its association with selected characteristics in northern China. DESIGN As part of a population-based case-control study on external structural birth defects, we analysed periconceptional use of folic acid among control mothers. SETTING The study was conducted in four counties (Pingding, Xiyang, Taigu and Zezhou) in Shanxi P...

BACKGROUND In current literature, no data on safety in pregnancy for new drugs in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) like natalizumab (Tysabri®), a humanized monoclonal antibody against α4 integrins, are yet available. In the management of MS, natalizumab is the first monoclonal antibody approved to the market. METHODS We describe the pregnancy and outcome in two women with MS using nat...

Obesity in the childbearing population is increasingly common. Obesity is associated with increased risk for a number of maternal and neonatal pregnancy complications. Some of these complications, such as gestational diabetes, are risk factors for long-term disease in both mother and baby. While clinical practice guidelines advocate for healthy weight prior to pregnancy, there is not a clear di...

BACKGROUND Folic acid-containing multivitamins have been associated with a reduced risk of preterm birth. We examined whether periconceptional use of folic acid alone reduced this risk. METHODS Data were derived from a large population-based cohort study conducted in China to evaluate the prevention of neural tube defects with folic acid supplementation. The sample comprised 207 936 singleton...

OBJECTIVES This study examined the association between certain paternal occupational exposures during the periconceptional period and the risk of congenital malformations. MATERIALS AND METHODS A case-control study was carried out from December 2009 to April 2010; on 242 congenital malformation cases and 270 controls. Paternal occupational exposure to certain workplace hazards was assessed by...

OBJECTIVE In 1982, Tolarova(4) found a reduction in the recurrence rate of isolated cleft lip (CL) with or without cleft palate (CP; CL +/- CP) after periconceptional supplementation with a multivitamin including a very high dose (10 mg) of folic acid. The Hungarian randomized, double-blind, controlled trial of periconceptional supplementation with a multivitamin including a physiologic dose (....