We were one of the first groups to publish the changes in serum folate and homocysteine during normal pregnancy and we continued to guide public health to identify which groups were at risk for not taking folic acid prior to conception in an aid to direct public health campaigns.

1. Tam LE, McDonald SD, Wen SW, Smith GN, Windrim RC, Walker MC. A survey of preconceptional folic acid use in a group of Canadian women. J Obstet Gynecol Can, March 2005. 27(3), 232-236
2. Miller EC, Liu N, Wen SW, Walker M. Why do Canadian women fail to achieve optimal preconceptional folic acid supplementation? An Observational Study. J Obstet Gynaecol Can. 2011 Nov;33(11):1116-23.

Understanding the potential benefits of folic acid in preventing pregnancy complications, we performed two landmark studies on folic acid and folic acid antagonists.

3. Shi Wu Wen, Xi-Kuan Chen, Marc Rodger, Ruth Rennicks White, Qiuying Yang, Graeme N. Smith, Ronald J. Sigal, Sherry L, Perkins, Mark C Walker. Folic acid supplementation in early second trimester and the risk of pre-eclampsia. Am J Obstet Gynecol, 2008 Jan;198(1): 45e1-45e7
4. Wen SW, Zhou J, Yang Q, Fraser W, Olatunbosun O, Walker M. Maternal exposure to folic acid antagonists and placenta-mediated adverse pregnancy outcomes. CMAJ. 2008; 179(12):1263-1268

This body of work, led to the successful funding of the Folic Acid Clinical Trial (FACT) which is an international multicentre trial to estimate if folic acid supplementation decreases rates of pre-eclampsia. Seven countries are involved in the trial with over 80 centers.

5. Shi Wu Wen; Josee Champagne; Ruth Rennicks White; William Fraser; Graeme Smith; Dean Fergusson; Mark C. Walker for the FACT trial team. Effect of folic acid supplementation in pregnancy on preeclampsia: the folic acid clinical trial (FACT) study. Journal or Pregnancy vol. 2013. doi:10.1155/2013/294312.


Public Health Contribution and Influenza

The outbreak of H1N1 pandemic had significant implication for pregnant women. There was great concern with the vaccination of pregnant women and about safety of vaccination in pregnancy. We published papers, and have ongoing follow up, to demonstrate the safety and use of anti-viral meds in pregnancy.

1. Ning Liu, Ann Sprague, Deshayne Fell, Abdool Yasseen, Graeme Smith, Shi Wu Wen, Mark Walker. Vaccination Patterns in Pregnant Women during the 2009 H1N1 Influenza Pandemic. Can J Public Health, 2012;103(5):353-58
2. Deshayne B. Fell, Ann E. Sprague, Ning Liu, Abdool S. Yasseen III, Shi-Wu Wen, Graeme Smith, and Mark C. Walker. H1N1 Influenza Vaccination During Pregnancy and Fetal and Neonatal Outcomes. American Journal of Public Health. June 2012, 102(6):e33-40.
3. Xie H, Yasseen AS, Xie R, Fell DB, Sprague AE, Liu N, Smith GN, Walker MC, Wen SW. Infant outcomes among pregnant women who used oseltamivir for treatment of influenza during the H1N1 epidemic. E-published ahead of print, January 17, 2013. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2013.01.015