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# Prenatal/maternal folate supplementation prevents childhood brain tumors
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/folate_brain_tumors_0605140328/
- Published: 2014-06-05T16:27:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-22T16:21:39.000Z
- Description: Children born to mothers in the highest tertile of dietary folate intake during pregnancy were 30% less likely to be diagnosed with a brain tumour, an Australian case-control study found. Folic acid supplements were tied to 33% lower risk; B6 and B12 showed no association.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Vitamins, Nutrition, #vivvo-import

Thursday June 5, 2014 (foodconsumer.org) -- A study in Nutrition and Cancer suggests that prenatal vitamin supplementation is important for the prevention of childhood brain tumors.

Childhood brain tumors are the second most common malignancies found in children cancers while their etiology remains largely unknown. The current study shows that maternal gestational intake of folate, but not vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 was correlated with reduced risk of brain tumors in children.

The nationwide case-control study was conducted in 2005-2010 involving case children aged 0 to 14 years recruited from all 10 Australian pediatric oncology centers. Control children were so picked that they were matched for age, gender and state of residence. 

The study reveals that children born to women in the highest tertile of dietary intake of folate during pregnancy were 30% less likely to be diagnosed with brain tumors, compared with those born to women in the lowest tertile of intake. 

Mother who took folic acid or B6/B12 supplements were 33% and 49% reduced risk of brain tumors, respectively, compared with those who did not take the supplements.

However, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 when supplemented during pregnancy were not associated with risk of childhood brain tumors.

Folate plays an important role in maintenance of genomic integrity and DNA methylation, which may explain why prenatal folate intake was found protective against brain tumors.

Studies have shown that fortified synthetic folate was associated with increased risk of breast cancer while intake of folate naturally occurring in plant based foods was not correlated with cancer risk.

Greenop KR, Miller M, de Klerk NH, Scott RJ, Attia J, Ashton LJ, Dalla-Pozza L, Bower C, Armstrong BK, Milne E. Maternal Dietary Intake of Folate and Vitamins B6 and B12 During Pregnancy and Risk of Childhood Brain Tumors. Nutrion and Cancer. 2014 Jun 4:1-10.