Women in Canada are consuming above the upper intake level of folic acid but few are meeting dietary choline recommendations in the second trimester of pregnancy: data from the CHILD cohort study.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Cross-sectional analysis of dietary and supplement intake within a prospective cohort study
PubMed 38320263 · doi:10.1139/apnm-2023-0258
What was done
Dietary and supplemental intakes of folic acid, folate, choline, and vitamin B12 were evaluated at week 18 of pregnancy among 2,996 women enrolled in the Canadian CHILD cohort study.
What was found
A total of 71.6% of women took a daily prenatal supplement. Folic acid supplement use was reported by 28.0% of women (n = 847); among these users, 45.3% exceeded the upper intake level (UL; 1,000 µg/day). Mean (SD) daily dietary folate intake was 575 (235) µg DFE/day. In contrast, only 24.8% met the adequate intake (AI) recommendation for choline (AI ≥ 450 mg/day), with a mean (SD) intake of 375 (151) mg/day. Numerical data for vitamin B12 were not reported in the abstract.
Why it matters
This study demonstrates a nutritional imbalance in low-risk Canadian pregnancies, where excessive supplemental folic acid intake is common while choline intake frequently falls below recommended levels.
Limits
Intakes were self-reported and not verified with circulating biomarkers. The abstract does not report data on clinical maternal or infant outcomes, quantitative findings for vitamin B12, or intakes beyond the second trimester.
Cited by
- supports The recommended dietary intake of choline for pregnant women is approximately 450 milligrams per day.