Gregory Chandler on Prenatal Folic Acid Supplementation

By Gregory Chandler Researchers in one study began measuring blood folate levels in 100 mothers at the 14th week of pregnancy, and followed up on their children's behavior for nine years. Kids whose mother's had lower blood folate levels were more likely to be hyperactive and to have behavioral problems with peers. Mothers who consumed an average of 466 mcg of folic acid per day had babies with larger head circumferences at birth than kids whose mothers got an average of 413 mcg of folic acid per day, suggesting that folic acid influences brain development. GREGORY CHANDLER, Attorney at Law