The Relationship Between Folic Acid and Healthy Reproduction

Since 1991, when the UK Medical Research Council first confirmed that folic acid supplementation before and after pregnancy can prevent the occurrence of NTDs (neural tube malformations) and reduce the incidence by 50–70%, the preventive effect of folic acid on NTDs has been recognized as one of the most exciting medical discoveries of the late 20th century. Since then, the effects of folic acid on fetal growth and development have been the focus of scholars’ research. More and more studies have shown that folic acid is associated with other fertility problems as well as fetal birth defects. In particular, many studies in recent years have explained the relationship between folic acid and healthy fertility from the epigenetic aspects such as genetic and histone modification. Therefore, combined with relevant literature, the author reviews some current research results, in order to clarify the specific pathogenesis and other unsolved problems through further research.