Queen¡¯s to collaborate on ?1.9m study to evaluate UK policy impact on maternal and child health
Researchers from Queen¡¯s University ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ and partners have been awarded ?1.9 million from the Medical Research Council (MRC) to evaluate the health impact of the UK¡¯s mandatory folic acid fortification policy.
The research team from the Centre for Public Health at Queen’s includes Dr Fionnuala Mone, Professor Jayne Woodside and Professor Michelle McKinley. They will work alongside the study's lead from King’s College London and partners including the University of Cambridge, the University of Edinburgh and the Born in Bradford cohort.
The three-year project will assess how the fortification of non-wholemeal wheat flour with folic acid affects maternal and infant health across the UK.
Folate (vitamin B9) is vital in early pregnancy and helps to prevent serious birth defects of the brain and spine, known as neural tube defects, including spina bifida. For women trying to conceive, the taking a folic acid supplement every day before pregnancy and up until 12 weeks of pregnancy.
However, some pregnancies are unplanned, and not all women are aware of the recommendations to take a folic acid supplement.
To address this, in 2024 the UK government introduced new legislation, making it mandatory for millers and flour producers to add folic acid to non-wholemeal wheat flour during production from the end of 2026. This public health measure is expected to reduce neural tube defects by around 20 per cent.
The project will provide UK-specific evidence on whether adding folic acid to flour improves folate levels across different communities and whether the benefits are shared fairly, particularly among groups at higher risk of deficiency.
Dr Fionnuala Mone, Lecturer in Maternal & Fetal Medicine at Queen's said: “We look forward to collaborating with King's College London through conducting this study in Northern Ireland to provide robust and timely evidence on the effectiveness of the UK’s folic acid fortification policy. Given the UK’s diverse population and specific fortification strategy, this UK-wide study will determine if the benefits of fortification reach all pregnant women and their babies.”
The researchers will collect and analyse 2,000 blood samples from women in early pregnancy, covering the period before, during and after the rollout of fortification. Samples will be drawn from established birth cohorts and antenatal clinics in London, Bradford, Edinburgh and ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ to ensure broad ethnic, socioeconomic and geographic representation.
Dr Katie Dalrymple, Lecturer in Nutritional Sciences and project lead from King’s College London, said: “Folic acid fortification has the potential to prevent devastating birth defects, but it is essential that we understand how well this policy works in the UK’s diverse population. This study will provide robust, UK-specific evidence on whether fortification improves maternal folate status equitably and whether it translates into better outcomes for mothers and babies.”
Researchers will measure red blood cell and serum folate, vitamin B12 and homocysteine levels. These are all important markers of folate metabolism and will help identify whether folate is being used effectively in early pregnancy. They will also examine links between folic acid fortification, changes in biomarkers of folate status, and maternal and infant outcomes, including neural tube defects, fetal growth, preterm birth and infant neurodevelopment.
The findings from this study will provide critical evidence to inform future public health policy and ensure that fortification delivers meaningful health benefits for families across the UK.
Media
For media enquiries please contact Grace White at Queen’s Communications office: g.white@qub.ac.uk