Association of maternal folic acid supplementation during pregnancy with newborn telomere length.

This study aimed to explore the associations between maternal folic acid (FA) supplementation during different trimesters of pregnancy and newborn telomere length (TL). Data were collected from a birth cohort study of 746 mother-newborn pairs conducted from November 2013 to March 2015 in Wuhan, China. After adjustment for potential confounders, maternal FA supplementation after the first trimester and throughout pregnancy were associated with longer newborn TL [ß = 0.29, 95 % confidence interval (CI): 0.20, 0.38 and ß = 0.24, 95 % CI: 0.16, 0.32, respectively]. No significant association was found between maternal FA supplementation in the first trimester and newborn TL. In conclusion, a possible association between maternal FA supplementation during pregnancy with longer newborn TL was suggested in the present study. This study provides insight into the benefit of newborn TL by maternal FA supplementation during pregnancy.

Association between maternal urinary selenium during pregnancy and newborn telomere length: results from a birth cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Newborn telomere length is considered as an effective predictor of lifespan and health outcomes in later life. Selenium is an essential trace element for human health, and its antioxidation is of great significance for the prevention of telomere erosion. METHODS: We recruited 746 mother-newborn pairs in Wuhan Children's Hospital between 2013 and 2015. Urine samples were repeatedly collected at three time points during pregnancy, and umbilical cord blood samples were collected right after parturition. Urinary selenium concentration was detected using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and newborn telomere length was measured using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. We applied general estimating equations to examine the trimester-specific association between maternal urinary selenium during pregnancy and newborn telomere length. RESULTS: The median of creatinine-corrected selenium concentrations during pregnancy were 16.29, 18.08, and 18.35 µg/g·creatinine in the first, second, and third trimesters, respectively. Selenium concentrations in all the three trimesters were significantly associated with newborn telomere length. Per doubling of maternal urinary selenium concentrations was associated with 6.44% (95% CI: 0.92, 12.25), 6.54% (95% CI: 0.17, 13.31), and 6.02% (95% CI: 0.29, 12.09) longer newborn telomere length in the first, second, and third trimesters, respectively, after adjusting for potential confounders. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to provide evidence for the effect of maternal selenium levels on fetal telomere erosion. Findings from our study suggested that maternal urinary selenium was positively associated with newborn telomere length, indicating that intrauterine selenium exposure might have effect on initial setting of human telomere length.