Supplemental folic acid in pregnancy and childhood cancer risk

Study answer

What this study found

No association found between maternal periconceptional folic acid and/or multivitamin supplementation and risk of major childhood cancers (leukemia, lymphoma, CNS tumours, neuroblastoma, Wilms’ tumour, soft-tissue tumours). This supports ongoing folic acid use for neural tube defect prevention without increasing childhood cancer risk.

Study & population

Population-based prospective cohort of all live births in Norway (1999–2010; n=687,406); cancer outcomes from the Cancer Registry of Norway; exposure from the Medical Birth Registry; follow-up until cancer diagnosis, emigration, death, or 31 December 2010; Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for birth order, maternal smoking, and parental…

Intervention

Maternal periconceptional supplementation taken before and/or during pregnancy: folic acid supplements (0.4 mg) and/or multivitamins (0.2 mg); combined intake around 0.6 mg when both used; oral intake.

Key limitation

Relatively small numbers for several cancer types; follow-up limited to early childhood (mean ~6 years); possible misclassification of maternal folic acid intake and dose; missing data on maternal smoking for 16% of births; lack of information on dietary folate and some maternal factors; residual confounding.

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Original abstract