Pregnant Women Who Take Iron, Folic Acid Have Smarter Babies

29 December 2010

Babies of mothers who took supplements had improved intellectual functioning as well as better fine motor skills.

Studies over the past 20 years have pointed to the importance of micronutrients - substances found in small amounts in foods that make a big difference. One of the most important micronutrients for pregnant women is iron. Iron is vital to the development of a fetus' central nervous system, says Parul Christian, a nutritionist working at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.

"Early iron deficiency can change the neuro-anatomy of the brain, and impact the neuro-chemistry of the central nervous system and brain metabolism, that are important for cognitive development, for sensory-motor development."

But providing vitamin and micronutrient supplements to all pregnant women can be a significant financial burden in low income countries. Some experts argue that it's enough to give infants iron supplements after they're born. That was part of the reason Christian and her colleagues decided to study poor women in Nepal a decade ago. Some of the women got supplements without iron and folic acid, another important micronutrient, while others got supplements with both micronutrients.

"That study was completed in 2001 and showed iron and folic acid supplementation could have an impact on infant and later childhood survival," Christian says.