Maternal homocysteine and related B vitamins as risk factors for low birthweight.
OBJECTIVE
We designed a large prospective study to explore the relationship between maternal homocysteine concentrations and related B vitamins and birthweight.


METHODS
Blood was sampled from pregnant women at 30-34 weeks of gestation and their newborn infants (n = 366).


RESULTS
Concentrations of all analytes were higher in umbilical cord compared with maternal samples. Birthweight was related negatively to maternal homocysteine (r = -0.12) but not related to maternal cobalamin, methylmalonic acid, and folate (r = 0.02, r = 0.06, and r = 0.04, respectively). Regression analysis revealed smoking (beta = -313; 95% confidence interval [CI], -479 to -149), gestational age (beta = 150; 95% CI, 118-182), female sex (beta = -146; 95% CI, -256 to -35), and parity (beta = 104; 95% CI, 37-171) as strong determinants of birthweight. Maternal homocysteine, cobalamin, methylmalonic acid, and folate were not determinants of birthweight in multivariate analysis.


CONCLUSIONS
Maternal homocysteine and B vitamins are not related to birthweight in a multivariate model that was adjusted for potential confounders.
Hogeveen
Marije
M
Department of Pediatrics, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
Blom
Henk J
HJ
van der Heijden
Elisabeth H
EH
Semmekrot
Ben A
BA
Sporken
Jan M
JM
Ueland
Per M
PM
den Heijer
Martin
M
D000328:Adult; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D005260:Female; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight / Q000097:blood*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000502:physiology*; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry; D014803:Vitamin B Complex / Q000097:blood*
D006710:Homocysteine; D014803:Vitamin B Complex