Positional plagiocephaly and excessive folic acid intake during pregnancy.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To assess the relationship between high intake of folic acid and positional plagiocephaly.

DESIGN:

Retrospective case-control study with questionnaires administered in the clinic to biological mothers of children with positional plagiocephaly (PP group) and mothers of children without it (CO group).

SETTING:

Tertiary, institutional clinic. University Hospital of Maastricht, The Netherlands.

PATIENTS, PARTICIPANTS:

EXCLUSION CRITERIA:

mothers of children with syndromic disease or bone deformation and of children with clearly continuous forces on the skull (torticollis). A total of 94 mothers were included in the PP group (response rate: 85%), and 74 were included in the CO group (response rate: 75%). Final sample sizes were 75 in the PP group and 54 in the CO group.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:

The recommended daily dosage of folic acid in The Netherlands is 400 µg. The primary outcome was folic acid dosage in relation to the recommended dosage. A secondary outcome was duration of folic acid intake in relation to the recommended period of use during pregnancy.

RESULTS:

In the PP group, 20% used double the recommended dosage of folic acid, compared with 6% in the CO group (p < .05). In the CO group, 59% used folic acid longer than recommended compared with 56% in the PP group (not significant). There were no differences in baseline characteristics except for gestational period: 39.5 weeks in the PP group and 37.9 in the CO group (p < .05).

CONCLUSION:

Excessive daily intake of folic acid during pregnancy is seen among mothers of positional plagiocephaly patients.

• Authors: Alice C Michels, Marijke E Van den Elzen, J S H Vles, Rene R Van der Hulst
• Journal: The Cleft palate-craniofacial journal : official publication of the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association (Cleft Palate Craniofac J) Vol. 49 Issue 1 Pg. 1-4 (Jan 2012) ISSN: 1545-1569 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 21740174 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Folic Acid

Topics

• Case-Control Studies
• Female
• Folic Acid (administration & dosage, adverse effects)
• Humans
• Infant, Newborn
• Netherlands (epidemiology)
• Plagiocephaly, Nonsynostotic (epidemiology)
• Preconception Care
• Pregnancy
• Prenatal Care
• Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects (epidemiology)
• Prevalence
• Retrospective Studies
• Risk Factors
• Smoking (epidemiology)
• Surveys and Questionnaires