• Login
• Admin

Mistry, Hiten D. and Mather, Joanna and Ramsay, Margaret M. and Kurlak, Lesia O. and Symonds, Michael E. and Broughton Pipkin, Fiona (2011) Homocysteine and folate plasma concentrations in mother and baby at delivery after pre-eclamptic or normotensive pregnancy: influence of parity. Pregnancy Hypertension, 1 (2). pp. 150-155. ISSN 2210-7789

Abstract

Pre-eclampsia affects between 2-7% of all pregnant women, contributing to perinatal and maternal morbidity. There are conflicting data on plasma homocysteine and folate in pre-eclampsia, and little about fetal concentrations.

Objectives: Firstly, to compare the concentrations of homocysteine and folate in maternal and paired fetal (umbilical venous) plasma samples from normotensive or pre-eclamptic pregnancies at delivery; secondly, to identify any effect of parity on these concentrations.

Study design: Hospital based cross-sectional study consisting of 24 normotensive and 16 pre-eclamptic pregnant White European women from whom maternal and fetal plasma samples were collected at delivery.

Main outcome measures: Maternal and fetal plasma homocysteine and folate concentrations between normotensive and pre-eclamptic pregnancies with varying parity.

Results: There were no significant differences in either maternal or fetal plasma homocysteine or folate concentrations between normotensive and pre-eclamptic pregnancies, or between homocysteine and folate. In both the normotensive and pre-eclamptic women, plasma folate concentration was higher in paired fetal compared to maternal plasma (P < 0.001 and P = 0.047 respectively). With regards to homocysteine, only the normotensive samples had higher fetal concentrations (P = 0.002). Both maternal and fetal plasma folate concentrations were lower in parous women (P = 0.001; P = 0.017 respectively), the lowest concentrations being in pre-eclamptic parous women (P = 0.004), but homocysteine concentrations were similar (P > 0.4 for both).

Conclusions: The low plasma folate in parous women is an interesting finding and, when intake is also low, may contribute to adverse pregnancy outcomes, particularly in relation to pre-eclampsia.

Actions (Archive Staff Only)

Edit View