Folic acid could stop miscarriages

Folic acid could help infertile women become pregnant and may reduce the risk of miscarriage, research has found.

Women are already told to take folic acid supplements while trying to conceive and in the early stages of pregnancy to reduce the risk of abnormalities such as spina bifida. But experts have now found the vitamin could also benefit women who have unexplained fertility problems or suffered repeated miscarriages.

Researchers from the West Texas Reproductive Centre studied 31 women, all of whom had a genetic mutation called Mthfr and had sufferedfertility problems or recurrent pregnancy loss. They were given a high dose of folate, or vitamin B9.

Eighteen subsequently became pregnant, a rate of 61 per cent, or six times higher than before the women were taking the supplements.