TABLE 2.
Characteristics of participants’ plasma folate, serum total and active B-12, and plasma homocysteine concentrations in early pregnancy and in cord blood1
| Characteristic | Maternal early pregnancy (n = 3701) | Cord blood (n = 3112) |
|---|---|---|
| Plasma folate concentration,2 nmol/L | 17.4 (6.0, 38.0) | 20.8 (10.6, 38.5) |
| 1 SDS, nmol/L | 9.1 | 7.6 |
| ≥8 nmol/L | 3254 (89.6) | 3014 (99.8) |
| <8 nmol/L | 378 (10.4) | 7 (0.2) |
| Serum total B-12 concentration,2 pmol/L | 172 (76, 414) | 303 (120, 903) |
| 1 SDS, pmol/L | 93 | 202 |
| ≥145 pmol/L | 2301 (66.3) | 2877 (94.2) |
| <145 pmol/L | 1170 (33.7) | 178 (5.8) |
| Serum active B-12 concentration,2 pmol/L | 42 (18, 98) | 87 (36, 128) |
| 1 SDS, pmol/L | 20 | 29 |
| ≥21 pmol/L2 | 2478 (95.5) | 2909 (99.8) |
| <21 pmol/L | 118 (4.5) | 7 (0.2) |
| Plasma homocysteine concentration,2 μmol/L | 6.9 (4.6, 11.6) | 9.0 (7.4, 16.2) |
| 1 SDS, μmol/L | 2.0 | 2.9 |
| <19 μmol/L | 3583 (99.6) | 2905 (99.1) |
| ≥19 μmol/L | 13 (0.4) | 25 (0.9) |
| Folic acid supplement use3 | ||
| No | 550 (19.0) | — |
| From early pregnancy | 937 (32.4) | — |
| Yes, from preconception | 1406 (48.6) | — |
1
Values are based on nonimputed data and are median (95% range) for continuous variables and numbers (%) for categorical variables. SDS, standard deviation score.
2
Folate, vitamin B-12, and homocysteine were dichotomized based on the 95% reference interval for healthy adults.
3
Information on folic acid supplement use was available in 2893 mothers with information on maternal folate concentration in early pregnancy.