ABSTRACT
I. Introduction .................................................................................................. 112 II. Importance of Folate in Pregnancy .............................................................. 112
A. Physiological Changes In uencing Folate Requirements in Pregnancy ............................................................................................ 112 1. Hemodilution and Fluctuations in Blood Folate
Concentrations ..................................................................................... 113 2. Intestinal Folate Absorption (Bioavailability) ..................................... 113 3. Folate Catabolism ................................................................................ 113 4. Folate Clearance .................................................................................. 113
B. Placental Folate Transport and Metabolism ............................................ 113 C. Fetal Folate Metabolism .......................................................................... 114
III. Maternal Folate Status and Pregnancy Complications ................................. 115 A. Placental Abruption ................................................................................. 115 B. Preeclampsia ............................................................................................ 115 C. Spontaneous Abortions and Stillbirths .................................................... 117 D. Maternal Folate Status and Fetal Growth and Development ................... 118
1. Fetal Growth ........................................................................................ 118 2. Folic Acid Supplementation, Forti cation, and Fetal Growth ............ 119 3. Preterm Delivery ................................................................................. 119 4. Folate and Fetal Neurodevelopment .................................................... 120 5. Maternal Body Weight, Folate, and Risk of Neural Tube Defects ...... 120
E. Maternal Folate Status and Multiple Births ............................................. 121 IV. Importance of Folate during Lactation ......................................................... 121
A. Folate Content of Human Milk ................................................................ 121 1. Characterization of Human Milk Folates ............................................ 121 2. Factors Related to Milk Folate Concentration..................................... 122
B. Maternal Folate Status in Lactation ......................................................... 122 V. Folate and the Developmental Origins of Adult Health and Disease
Hypothesis .................................................................................................... 123 VI. Summary ......................................................................................................124 References .....................................................................................................124
