Emerging evidence suggests that taking multi-vitamins plus folic acid in early pregnancy may significantly reduce the risk of gestational hypertension or pre-eclampsia.

But what about folic acid alone?

Analysis of data from a large Chinese population based cohort study of folic acid and neural tube defects found overall incidences of gestational hypertension and pre-eclampsia of 9.5% and 2.5%, respectively, which are not affected by folic acid supplementation.

Source: Hypertension 2013;61:873-9, doi:10.1161/hypertensionaha.111.00230.