The associations of maternal folic acid intake and folate, vitamin B12 and homocysteine concentrations with dental development in children

Note: This study belongs to the Generation R study (NL6484 / NTR6671)

Summary:
Maternal nutritional status, including vitamins can impact the offspring’s tooth formation and mineralization.

We investigated the associations of maternal folic acid use and folate, vitamin B12 and homocysteine concentrations in early pregnancy with dental development in children. Secondly, we checked whether these associations were modified by MTHFR-C677T polymorphism.

This investigation was embedded in the Generation R study, a multi-ethnic population-based prospective. Information on folic acid supplement use was obtained by questionnaires at the enrolment of the study.

Maternal folic acid, vitamin B12 and homocysteine concentrations were measured from the venous samples drawn in early pregnancy. Dental development in 10 year old children was defined using the Demirjian method and the Dutch standard to calculate dental age.

Multivariate regression models were built to analyze the studied associations. Children of mothers who used folic acid supplement either when the pregnancy was known (β, -0.09; 95% CI: -0.17, -0.01) or in a periconceptional time (β, -0.12; 95% CI: -0.20, -0.04) had lower dental age, reflected in the delayed development of the mandibular first premolar and canine. In contrast, higher vitamin B12 concentration in the first trimester of pregnancy was associated with advanced maturity of second premolar (β, 0.20; 95% CI: 0.00, 0.40), first premolar (β, 0.23; 95% CI: 0.01, 0.44) and canine (β, 0.39; 95% CI: 0.17, 0.62). Homocysteine and folate concentrations were not significantly associated with dental age or development of any mandibular tooth. MTHFR-C677T polymorphism did not modify the studied associations. In conclusion, folic acid use during pregnancy is associated with a delayed dental development in children, while maternal vitamin B12 in early pregnancy is associated with advanced dental development.

We investigated the associations of maternal folic acid use and folate, vitamin B12 and homocysteine concentrations in early pregnancy with dental development in children. Secondly, we checked whether these associations were modified by MTHFR-C677T polymorphism.

one time point, cross sectional

observational study, no intervention applicable