Maternal folic acid supplement intake and semen quality in Danish sons: a follow-up study

Abstract

Objective: To examine whether maternal folic acid supplement intake during pregnancy is related to better semen quality in male offspring.

Design: A follow-up study.

Setting: Two major Danish municipalities, Aalborg and Odense.

Patient(s): The study population included 347 singleton sons of mothers enrolled into the Healthy Habits for Two cohort when pregnant in 1984-87.

Intervention(s): Information on maternal folic acid supplement intake during pregnancy was provided by self-administered questionnaire in the 36th week of gestation.

Main outcome measure(s): Semen characteristics and serum concentrations of sex hormones.

Result(s): The distribution of semen characteristics among sons whose mothers took folic acid supplement during pregnancy (n = 88, 25%) did not differ from the distributions among those without (n = 75, 22%) or with unknown folic acid supplement intake (n = 84, 53%). On the contrary, serum levels of FSH and LH were significantly higher in the folic acid supplement group.

Conclusion(s): The hypothesis that folic acid supplement intake during pregnancy will improve semen quality in male offspring was not corroborated by a follow-up study in young Danish men.