‘Scaremongers!’ Spina bifida charity hits out at midwives’ tongue-tie warnings to pregnant mums taking folic acid
MIDWIVES have been accused of ‘scaremongering’ for telling women that taking folic acid later in pregnancy raises the risk of tongue-tie in newborns.
There is no evidence that folic acid increases the likelihood of the condition, which makes breastfeeding difficult as the baby’s tongue is attached to the base of the mouth almost to its tip.
But it is known that if the mother is deficient in folic acid, a type of B vitamin, the risk of serious defects such as spina bifida is greatly increased.
Nonetheless, midwives have ignored official advice and ‘warn’ mothers-to-be about taking folic acid supplements after the first trimester.
Nurse Gill Yaz, of the spina bifida charity Shine, said she feared the number of women taking folic acid could drop if women got the false message that it was harmful, adding: ‘Midwives should not be scaremongering and spreading rumours. It is so unhelpful.’ The rumour – apparently started by ‘Earth mother’ bloggers – has become a hot topic on parenting forums.
But Professor Sir Nicholas Wald, from the Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine in London, said: ‘There is no scientific basis for stating that taking folic acid supplements from around 12 weeks causes tongue-tie.’
Campaigners fear that the misinformation could have serious consequences.
Only a third of women take folic acid while trying to get pregnant, despite advice stating women should take 400 micrograms of it daily while trying to conceive, until 12 weeks pregnant. A study has found that most Irish women do not start taking a folic acid supplement until they have a positive pregnancy test.
The poor uptake results in an alarmingly high number of babies being born every year with neural tube defects such as spina bifida, where the spine develops incorrectly, causing damage to the nervous system.
Recent research published in the Irish Medical Journal found the incidence of the neural tube defects at birth was not falling in Ireland and that our rate – 1.5 in every 1,000 births – is higher than the EU rate.
Many mothers continue to take folic acid after 12 weeks, as part of a pregnancy multivitamin like Pregnacare and medical experts consider this to be safe.