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Health News Archive 451 - Children's Cancer
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Mother's Folic Acid Supplements Reduce Children's Cancer Risk

A case control study conducted by Dr. Greta Bunin of California and colleagues at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, PA looked at the effects of taking vitamin supplements during pregnancy and the subsequent risk of  children developing brain cancer (medulloblastoma/primitive neuroectodermal tumors of brain (PNET)). The article was published in the September 2006 edition of the journal Cancer, Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention.

The mothers of 315 children diagnosed with brain cancer, before the age of six at diagnosis, were compared to 315 similar mothers whose children did not have cancer. It was found that mothers whose children had brain cancer were about half as likely as mothers of well babies to consume higher levels of iron and folate from food and supplements during pregnancy.

Case and control mothers had similar intakes of cured meats, although case mothers were more likely to have the combination of high cured meat and low vitamin C intake.

It's well known that consuming folate during pregnancy reduces risk of neural tube defects such as spina bifida; but now vitamin supplementation very early in pregnancy may have additional beneficial effects years down the road. Doctors recommend that women who may become pregnant or who are pregnant consume a daily prenatal vitamin.

Source: Bunin G, Gallagher P, Rorke-Adams L, Robison L, Cnaan A. Maternal Supplement, Micronutrient, and Cured Meat Intake during Pregnancy and Risk of Medulloblastoma during Childhood: A Children's Oncology Group Study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2006 15: 1660-1667.

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