Folic Acid During Pregnancy May Protect Some Kids from High Blood Pressure.

Researchers wanted to see if a woman’s folic acid levels and heart disease risk factors (high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity) during pregnancy individually or jointly had an impact on a child’s blood pressure. They found an association between higher levels of folic acid during pregnancy and a 40% reduced risk of high blood pressure among children of mothers with heart disease risk factors. Study author Dr. Xiaobin Wang notes, “Our findings raise the possibility that early risk assessment and intervention before conception and during pregnancy may lead to new ways to prevent high blood pressure and its consequences across life span and generations.” American Journal of Hypertension, March 2017