ABSTRACT
Research question
Studies in rodents have shown that paternal folate intake prior to conception is associated
with pregnancy and offspring outcomes. The aim of this study was to assess whether
those associations might apply to humans as well.
Design
Between 2007 and 2017, the study prospectively analysed data from 108 couples participating
in a preconception cohort of couples undergoing fertility treatment using their own
gametes, whose treatment resulted in 113 pregnancies during the course of the study.
Paternal and maternal preconception folate intake was assessed using a validated food
frequency questionnaire. Linear mixed models were used to assess whether paternal
preconception folate intake was associated with gestational age at delivery and gestational
age-specific birthweight, while accounting for correlated data and potential confounders.
Results
In a multivariable-adjusted model, a 400 μg/day increase in preconception paternal
folate intake was associated with a 2.6-day longer gestation (95% confidence interval
0.8–4.3) after adjusting for potential confounders, including maternal folate intake.
Similar associations were found for folate from food and supplements. Maternal folate
intake was not associated with gestational age at delivery. Neither paternal nor maternal
folate intake was associated with gestational-age-specific birthweight.
Conclusions
Higher paternal preconception folate intake was associated with slightly longer gestation
among live births achieved through assisted reproduction. The results suggest that
preconception exposures of the father may have an impact on the health of his offspring,
and therefore that preconception care should shift from a woman-centric to a couple-based
approach.
Key words
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Biography
Nerea Martín-Calvo is a paediatrician and received her PhD in epidemiology from the University of Navarra, Spain, in 2014. She is currently working as an Assistant Professor at the Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health at the same institution. She collaborated with the EARTH team as visiting scientist in 2016.
Article info
Publication history
Published online: July 12, 2019
Accepted:
July 9,
2019
Received in revised form:
May 20,
2019
Received:
April 3,
2019
Declaration: The authors report no financial or commercial conflicts of interest.Identification
Copyright
© 2019 Reproductive Healthcare Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
