Periconceptional use of folic acid is thought to reduce the risk for both neural tube defects and other congenital malformations. Most published data were obtained retrospectively. We used the Swedish Medical Birth Registry to study congenital malformations in infants born of women who reported the use of folic acid in early pregnancy (of which 70% probably used it also preconceptionally) and compared them with population rates. We divided the material according to two major confounders: subfertility problems and use of antiepileptic drugs. We found no protective effect of folic acid tablet use on the rate of congenital malformations but data on neural tube defects were scarce. Our results support the scepticism recently expressed in the literature on the beneficial effect of folic acid in preventing congenital malformations, especially of a non-neural tube defect type.
Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science Inc.