red blood cell

Folate, also known as vitamin B9, is found in many foods and helps the body form health red blood cells.

They say it does that by increasing the number of red blood cells that contain haemoglobin, which transports oxygen around the body, but this remains a disputed subject and many say further studies are required.

And when mice were injected with these human blood stem cells in the lab, the cells were found to be good at making red blood cells - a positive sign, Dr Encabo said.

Untreated, the clots cause organ damage and low red blood cell and platelet counts.

The condition occurs at pregnancy when the mother's red blood cells are incompatible with that of their growing baby.