Pilot study marks beginning of landmark research into multiple miscarriages
The trial will test different folate types to see how they affect pregnancy success.
As we approach Infertility Awareness Month this April it is a timely reminder that miscarriages affect 1 in 4 women, or one miscarriage happens every 44 minutes worldwide.
The University of Technology Sydney is conducting a pilot study testing different folate types to improve pregnancy success in couples that have had multiple miscarriages.
Folate is important to prevent neural tube defects and is currently recommended to all women who are hoping to fall pregnant or are pregnant. New research is emerging that suggests that some people use folates differently and perhaps a more nuanced approach is needed, particularly if metabolism is compromised.
A recent paper published in the Journal of Nutrition last month titled, ‘Higher than recommended folic acid intakes is associated with high folate status throughout pregnancy in a prospective French-Canadian Cohort concluded that “Most pregnant individuals had elevated serum total folate concentrations, reflecting total folic acid intakes above the UL driven by supplement use”.
“We traditionally have always recommended the use of folic acid, but this needs to be converted to a more active form to be used by the body, so we are investigating if some women do better on a more activated form to prevent miscarriage,” says lead author Carolyn Ledowsky, a University of Technology Sydney-based PhD candidate.
She is conducting a pilot study for women with multiple miscarriage, where one group of women and their partners will receive a folic acid based multivitamin and the other group will receive a methyl folate-based multivitamin.
This pilot study will help us design a bigger, more statistically significant trial to help general practitioners and doctors understand if they should be prescribing folic acid or methyl folate. We want to make sure we are using the most effective type of folate to prevent miscarriages.
If you're interested in taking part in the trial, please fill out this form to find out if you qualify (you must have had 2 or more miscarriages and not be currently undergoing IVF).
For more information, email Carolyn.j.ledowsky@student.uts.edu.au or phone 0411 790 333.
