Effects of maternal folate and vitamin b12 on gestational diabetes mellitus: a dose-response meta-analysis of observational studies

feature-image

Play all audios:

Loading...

ABSTRACT To comprehensively estimate the association of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) risk with maternal red blood cell (RBC) folate, plasma/serum folate, dose and duration of folic


acid supplement (FAS) intake and vitamin B12 separately. PubMed, Web of science, CNKI, and Wanfang Databases were searched through March 26, 2021. We synthesized data using random-effects


model meta-analysis in Stata 12.0. Sensitivity, subgroup and dose-response analyses were also performed. The certainty of evidence was evaluated using the Grading of Recommendations,


Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE). Twenty six datasets from thirteen eligible observational studies were included in the study. We found a significant increase of GDM risk with


the highest versus lowest category of RBC folate (OR = 1.96, 95% CI: 1.48–2.61, I2 = 0.0%, moderate-certainty evidence) and plasma/serum folate (OR = 1.23, 1.02–1.48, I2 = 57.8%,


low-certainty evidence). The dose-response analysis revealed that each 200 ng/ml increase in RBC folate was significantly associated with 8% higher GDM risk. No significant association


between dose of FAS intake and GDM risk was found with very low cetainty. Meanwhile, longer duration (≥3 months) of FAS conferred 56% significant higher GDM risk (OR = 1.56, 1.02–2.39, very


low certainty evidence). No significant association of GDM risk with highest plasma/serum B12 was observed compared to lowest B12 (OR = 0.77, 0.58–1.02, very low-certainty evidence).


Moderate-certainty evidence suggests that higher RBC folate appears to significantly increase GDM risk. Higher plasma/serum folate may increase GDM risk but with low certainty. Further


well-designed trials or prospective studies are needed. Access through your institution Buy or subscribe This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution ACCESS OPTIONS


Access through your institution Subscribe to this journal Receive 12 print issues and online access $259.00 per year only $21.58 per issue Learn more Buy this article * Purchase on


SpringerLink * Instant access to full article PDF Buy now Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout ADDITIONAL ACCESS OPTIONS: * Log in * Learn about


institutional subscriptions * Read our FAQs * Contact customer support SIMILAR CONTENT BEING VIEWED BY OTHERS THE EFFECT OF PREPREGNANCY BODY MASS INDEX ON MATERNAL MICRONUTRIENT STATUS: A


META-ANALYSIS Article Open access 13 September 2021 ASSOCIATION OF MATERNAL GUT MICROBIAL METABOLITES WITH GESTATIONAL DIABETES MELLITUS: EVIDENCE FROM AN ORIGINAL CASE-CONTROL STUDY,


META-ANALYSIS, AND MENDELIAN RANDOMIZATION Article 02 September 2024 LONGITUDINAL ASSESSMENT OF MATERNAL MICRONUTRIENTS (FOLATE AND VITAMIN B12) AND HOMOCYSTEINE LEVELS IN WOMEN WHO DEVELOP


GESTATIONAL DIABETES MELLITUS Article 17 February 2025 REFERENCES * Johns EC, Denison FC, Norman JE, Reynolds RM. Gestational diabetes mellitus: mechanisms, treatment, and complications.


Trends Endocrinol Metab. 2018;29:743–54. Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar  * Ferrara A. Increasing Prevalence of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: a public health perspective. Diabetes


Care. 2007;30:S141–6. Article  PubMed  Google Scholar  * Guariguata L, Linnenkamp U, Beagley J, Whiting DR, Cho NH. Global estimates of the prevalence of hyperglycaemia in pregnancy.


Diabetes Res Clin Pr. 2014;103:176–85. Article  CAS  Google Scholar  * Catalano PM. Trying to understand gestational diabetes. Diabet Med. 2014;31:273–81. Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed


Central  Google Scholar  * Bellamy L, Casas JP, Hingorani AD, Williams D. Type 2 diabetes mellitus after gestational diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet. 2009;373:1773–9.


Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar  * Li Z, Cheng Y, Wang D, Chen H, Chen H, Ming W, et al. Incidence rate of type 2 diabetes mellitus after gestational diabetes mellitus: a systematic


review and meta-analysis of 170,139 women. J Diabetes Res. 2020;2020:1–12. Google Scholar  * Kramer CK, Campbell S, Retnakaran R. Gestational diabetes and the risk of cardiovascular disease


in women: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Diabetologia. 2019;62:905–14. Article  PubMed  Google Scholar  * Lavery JA, Friedman AM, Keyes KM, Wright JD, Ananth CV. Gestational diabetes


in the United States: temporal changes in prevalence rates between 1979 and 2010. BJOG.2017;124:804–13. Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar  * Crider KS, Yang TP, Berry RJ, Bailey LB.


Folate and DNA methylation: a review of molecular mechanisms and the evidence for folate’s role. Adv Nutr. 2012;3:21–38. Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar  * Paul L,


Selhub J. Interaction between excess folate and low vitamin B12 status. Mol Asp Med. 2017;53:43–7. Article  CAS  Google Scholar  * Wang S, Wang H, Song Y, Ji Y. The role of vitamin b12 in


the pathogenesis of gestational diabetes. Acta Microsc. 2020;29:838–45. Google Scholar  * Bibbins-Domingo K, Grossman DC, Curry SJ, Davidson KW, Epling JW, García FAR, et al. Folic acid


supplementation for the prevention of neural tube defects: US preventive services task force recommendation statement. JAMA: J Am Med Assoc. 2017;317:183–9. Article  Google Scholar  * Best


K, Green TJ. Adequate maternal pre-conceptional folate status may reduce the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus. Evid Based Nurs. 2020;2019:103157. Google Scholar  * Gadgil M, Joshi K,


Pandit A, Otiv S, Joshi R, Brenna JT, et al. Imbalance of folic acid and vitamin B12 is associated with birth outcome: an Indian pregnant women study. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2014;68:726–9. Article


  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar  * Chen X, Zhang Y, Chen H, Jiang Y, Wang Y, Wang D, et al. Association of maternal folate and vitamin b12 in early pregnancy with gestational diabetes


mellitus: a prospective cohort study. Diabetes Care. 2021;44:217–23. Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar  * Xie K, Xu P, Fu Z, Gu X, Li H, Cui X, et al. Association of maternal folate


status in the second trimester of pregnancy with the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus. Food Sci Nutr. 2019;7:3759–65. Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar  * Liu PJ, Liu


Y, Ma L, Yao AM, Chen XY, Hou YX, et al. Associations between gestational diabetes mellitus risk and folate status in early pregnancy and MTHFR C677T polymorphisms in chinese women.


Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes. 2020;13:1499–507. Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar  * Zhu B, Ge X, Huang K, Mao L, Yan S, Xu Y, et al. Folic acid supplement intake in early


pregnancy increases risk of gestational diabetes mellitus: evidence from a prospective cohort study. Diabetes Care. 2016;39:e36–7. Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar  * Li M, Li S,


Chavarro JE, Gaskins AJ, Ley SH, Hinkle SN, et al. Prepregnancy habitual intakes of total, supplemental, and food folate and risk of gestational diabetes mellitus: a prospective cohort


study. Diabetes Care. 2019;42:1034–41. Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar  * Li Q, Zhang Y, Huang L, Zhong C, Chen R, Zhou X, et al. High-Dose folic acid supplement use


from prepregnancy through midpregnancy is associated with increased risk of gestational diabetes mellitus: a prospective cohort study. Diabetes Care. 2019;42:e113–5. Article  CAS  PubMed 


Google Scholar  * Cheng G, Sha T, Gao X, He Q, Wu X, Tian Q, et al. The associations between the duration of folic acid supplementation, gestational diabetes mellitus, and adverse birth


outcomes based on a birth cohort. Int J Env Res Pub He. 2019;16:4511. Article  CAS  Google Scholar  * Huang L, Yu X, Li L, Chen Y, Yang Y, Yang Y. Duration of periconceptional folic acid


supplementation and risk of gestational diabetes mellitus. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2019;28:321–329. CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar  * Lai JS, Pang WW, Cai S, Lee YS, Chan J, Shek L, et al. High


folate and low vitamin B12 status during pregnancy is associated with gestational diabetes mellitus. Clin Nutr. 2018;37:940–7. Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar  * Kouroglou E, Anagnostis


P, Daponte A, Bargiota A. Vitamin B12 insufficiency is associated with increased risk of gestational diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Endocrine. 2019;66:149–56.


Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar  * Li S, Hou Y, Yan X, Wang Y, Shi C, Wu X, et al. Joint effects of folate and vitamin B12 imbalance with maternal characteristics on gestational


diabetes mellitus. J Diabetes. 2019;11:744–51. Article  PubMed  Google Scholar  * Jankovic-Karasoulos T, Furness DL, Leemaqz SY, Dekker GA, Grzeskowiak LE, Grieger JA, et al. Maternal


folate, one-carbon metabolism and pregnancy outcomes. Matern Child Nutr. 2021;17:e13064. Article  PubMed  Google Scholar  * Arya S, Kaji AH, Boermeester MA. PRISMA reporting guidelines for


meta-analyses and systematic reviews. Jama Surg. 2021;156:789–90. Article  PubMed  Google Scholar  * Stang A. Critical evaluation of the Newcastle-Ottawa scale for the assessment of the


quality of nonrandomized studies in meta-analyses. Eur J Epidemiol. 2010;25:603–05. Article  PubMed  Google Scholar  * Chou R, Baker WL, Bañez LL, Iyer S, Myers ER, Newberry S, et al. Agency


for Healthcare Research and Quality Evidence-based Practice Center methods provide guidance on prioritization and selection of harms in systematic reviews. J Clin Epidemiol. 2018;98:98–104.


Article  PubMed  Google Scholar  * Guyatt GH, Oxman AD, Vist GE, Kunz R, Falck-Ytter Y, Alonso-Coello P, et al. GRADE: an emerging consensus on rating quality of evidence and strength of


recommendations. BMJ.2008;336:924–6. Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar  * Dersimonian R, Laird N. Meta-analysis in clinical trials. Control Clin Trials. 1986;7:177–88. Article


  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar  * Cornell JE, Liao JM, Stack CB, Mulrow CD. Annals understanding clinical research: evaluating the meaning of a summary estimate in a meta-analysis. Ann Intern


Med. 2017;167:275–7. Article  PubMed  Google Scholar  * Muka T, Glisic M, Milic J, Verhoog S, Bohlius J, Bramer W, et al. A 24-step guide on how to design, conduct, and successfully publish


a systematic review and meta-analysis in medical research. Eur J Epidemiol. 2020;35:49–60. Article  PubMed  Google Scholar  * Sander G, Longnecker MP. Methods for trend estimation from


summarized Dose-Response data, with applications to Meta-Analysis. Am J Epidemiol. 1992;135:1301–9. Article  Google Scholar  * Qiang Y, Li Q, Xin Y, Fang X, Tian Y, Ma J, et al. Intake of


dietary One-Carbon Metabolism-Related b vitamins and the risk of esophageal cancer: a dose-response meta-analysis. Nutrients.2018;10:835. Article  PubMed Central  Google Scholar  * Harrell


FJ, Lee KL, Pollock BG. Regression models in clinical studies: determining relationships between predictors and response. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1988;80:1198–202. Article  PubMed  Google


Scholar  * Fellow JPHS, Altman DG. Assessing risk of bias in included studies[M]. Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions: Cochrane Book Series, 2011. * Nichol CharlesA.


Folates and pterins, vol. 3; Nutritional, pharmacological and physiological aspects. Neurochem Int. 1987;11:479. Article  Google Scholar  * Chen M, Rose CE, Qi YP, Williams JL, Yeung LF,


Berry RJ, et al. Defining the plasma folate concentration associated with the red blood cell folate concentration threshold for optimal neural tube defects prevention: a population-based,


randomized trial of folic acid supplementation. Am J Clin Nutr. 2019;109:1452–61. Article  PubMed  Google Scholar  * Murphy M, Muldoon KA, Sheyholislami H, Behan N, Lamers Y, Rybak N, et al.


Impact of high-dose folic acid supplementation in pregnancy on biomarkers of folate status and 1-carbon metabolism: an ancillary study of the Folic Acid Clinical Trial (FACT). Am J Clin


Nutr. 2021;113:1361–71. PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar  * Samson KLI, Loh SP, Lee SS, Sulistyoningrum DC, Khor GL, Shariff ZBM, et al. Weekly iron–folic acid supplements containing


2.8 mg folic acid are associated with a lower risk of neural tube defects than the current practice of 0.4 mg: a randomised controlled trial in Malaysia. BMJ Glob Health. 2020;5:e3897.


Article  Google Scholar  * Crider KS, Qi Y, Devine O, Tinker SC, Berry RJ. Modeling the impact of folic acid fortification and supplementation on red blood cell folate concentrations and


predicted neural tube defect risk in the United States: Have we reached optimal prevention? Am J Clin Nutr. 2018;107:1027–34. Article  PubMed  Google Scholar  * Li Q, Xu S, Chen X, Zhang X,


Li X, Lin L, et al. Folic acid supplement use and increased risk of gestational hypertension. Hypertension.2020;76:150–6. Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar  * Oken E, Ning Y, Rifas-Shiman


SL, Rich-Edwards JW, Olsen SF, Gillman MW. Diet during pregnancy and risk of preeclampsia or gestational hypertension. Ann Epidemiol. 2007;17:663–8. Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google


Scholar  * Mcstay C, Prescott S, Bower C, Palmer D. Maternal folic acid supplementation during pregnancy and childhood allergic disease outcomes: a question of timing? Nutrients. 2017;9:123.


Article  PubMed Central  Google Scholar  * Raghavan R, Riley AW, Volk H, Caruso D, Hironaka L, Sices L, et al. Maternal multivitamin intake, plasma folate and vitamin b12 levels and autism


spectrum disorder risk in offspring. Paediatr Perinat Ep. 2018;32:100–11. Article  Google Scholar  * Looman M, Geelen A, Samlal R, Heijligenberg R, Klein GJ, Balvers M, et al. Changes in


micronutrient intake and status, diet quality and glucose tolerance from preconception to the second trimester of pregnancy. Nutrients. 2019;11:460. Article  CAS  PubMed Central  Google


Scholar  * Solomon LR. Disorders of cobalamin (Vitamin B12) metabolism: emerging concepts in pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment. Blood Rev. 2007;21:113–30. Article  CAS  PubMed  Google


Scholar  * Palmer AM, Kamynina E, Field MS, Stover PJ. Folate rescues vitamin B12 depletion-induced inhibition of nuclear thymidylate biosynthesis and genome instability. Proc Natl Acad


Sci. 2017;114:E4095–102. Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar  * Selhub J, Morris MS, Jacques PF. In vitamin B12 deficiency, higher serum folate is associated with increased


total homocysteine and methylmalonic acid concentrations. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2007;104:19995–20000. Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar  * Adaikalakoteswari A, Vatish M,


Alam MT, Ott S, Kumar S, Saravanan P. Low vitamin b12 in pregnancy is associated with Adipose-Derived circulating miRs targeting PPARγ and insulin resistance. J Clin Endocrinol Metab.


2017;102:4200–09. Article  PubMed  Google Scholar  * Troen AM, Mitchell B, Sorensen B, Wener MH, Johnston A, Wood B, et al. Unmetabolized folic acid in plasma is associated with reduced


natural killer cell cytotoxicity among postmenopausal women. J Nutr. 2006;136:189–94. Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar  * Sawaengsri H, Wang J, Reginaldo C, Steluti J, Wu D, Meydani SN,


et al. High folic acid intake reduces natural killer cell cytotoxicity in aged mice. J Nutr Biochem. 2016;30:102–7. Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar  Download references ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS


Many thanks to Professor Ling Wang and Dr. Songyuan Deng for the valuable suggestions on the revision of the article. AUTHOR INFORMATION AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS * Department of Nutrient,


Zhengzhou Central Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, No.195, Tongbai Road, Zhengzhou, China Nana Li * Department of Big Data Center for Cardiovascular Disease, Henan Provincial


People’s Hospital, Central China Fuwai Hospital, Central China Fuwai Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China Jicheng Jiang * Hospital Infection Management Section, Zhengzhou


Central Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China Leilei Guo Authors * Nana Li View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar *


Jicheng Jiang View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * Leilei Guo View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google


Scholar CONTRIBUTIONS NL developed the idea and study design; NL and JJ carried out the literature searching, data-extracting and critical appraisal; NL, JJ and LG performed the statistical


analyses and interpretation; NL drafted and edited the manuscript; JJ and LG gave advice on extensive revision. All authors have read and approved the submission of final manuscript.


CORRESPONDING AUTHOR Correspondence to Nana Li. ETHICS DECLARATIONS COMPETING INTERESTS The authors declare no competing interests. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PUBLISHER’S NOTE Springer Nature


remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION SUPPLEMENTARY FIGURES, TABLES AND PRISMA_2020_CHECKLIST


RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE Li, N., Jiang, J. & Guo, L. Effects of maternal folate and vitamin B12 on gestational diabetes


mellitus: a dose-response meta-analysis of observational studies. _Eur J Clin Nutr_ 76, 1502–1512 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-022-01076-8 Download citation * Received: 20 May 2021


* Revised: 05 January 2022 * Accepted: 11 January 2022 * Published: 01 February 2022 * Issue Date: November 2022 * DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-022-01076-8 SHARE THIS ARTICLE Anyone


you share the following link with will be able to read this content: Get shareable link Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article. Copy to clipboard Provided by the


Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative