Back to Search
Start Over
International retrospective cohort study of neural tube defects in relation to folic acid recommendations
- Source :
- British Medical Journal, 330(7491), 571-573. BMJ PUBLISHING GROUP
- Publication Year :
- 2005
- Publisher :
- BMJ PUBLISHING GROUP, 2005.
-
Abstract
- This retrospective cohort study was planned to determine whether recommendations to take folic acid have in fact lessened the risk of neural tube defects. Recommendations typically include eating a healthy diet and takingfolic acid supplements when planning pregnancy or throughout the childbearing years. In a few countries, including the United States, flour is fortified so that much of the population will receive at least a small supplemental amount of folic acid. Many governments promote the use of supplements because folic acid is inexpensive, safe, and easy to use. The authors acquired information on more than 13 million births from 13 birth defects registries in Norway that monitored rates of neural tube defects from 1988 to 1998. Cases of anencephaly and spina bifida totaled 8636. Rates of defects were stable during the 10-year monitoring interval in most areas. There were no evident changes in rates of defects after local recommendations were issued. Comparable findings were obtained when analyzing anencephaly and spina bifida separately and combined. Folic acid use in Europe is, in general, low; in Norway, it is approximately 10%. In China, intensive educational efforts and a high rate of planned pregnancies probably are responsible for the effectiveness of a public health campaign to promote the use of folic acid supplements. Rates of folic acid use generally follow economic and educational trends. Fortifying flour with folic acid holds promise for delivering some folic acid to a large part of the population, crossing social and economic barriers. Blood folate levels have increased rapidly where this practice is followed. It is estimated that thousands of neural tube defects occurring since 1992 could have been prevented.
- Subjects :
- Pediatrics
Abortion
Cohort Studies
Pregnancy
Neural Tube Defects
Registries
Israel
education.field_of_study
FORTIFICATION
Neural tube defect
Incidence
Incidence (epidemiology)
Pregnancy Outcome
Obstetrics and Gynecology
WOMEN
General Medicine
Europe
medicine.anatomical_structure
Papers
Female
Preconception Care
Cohort study
medicine.medical_specialty
Population
Folic Acid
Environmental health
Anencephaly
medicine
Humans
KNOWLEDGE
ATTITUDES
education
Retrospective Studies
business.industry
Spina bifida
Public health
Food fortification
Infant, Newborn
Neural tube
Abortion, Induced
Retrospective cohort study
medicine.disease
Folic acid
Dietary Supplements
REPRODUCTIVE AGE
BTDs
business
DIETARY-SUPPLEMENTS
FOLATE
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 09598138 and 0959535X
- Volume :
- 330
- Issue :
- 7491
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- British Medical Journal
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....db13dd8b34effc39c5ac2ed5030dd337