scholarly journals Recommendations for accelerating global action to prevent folic acid-preventable birth defects and other folate-deficiency diseases: Meeting of experts on preventing folic acid-preventable neural tube defects

2004 ◽  
Vol 70 (11) ◽  
pp. 835-837 ◽  
Author(s):  
Godfrey P. Oakley ◽  
Karen N. Bell ◽  
Mary Beth Weber
Keyword(s):  
Folic Acid ◽  
Birth Defects ◽  
Neural Tube ◽  
Neural Tube Defects ◽  
Folate Deficiency ◽  
Global Action ◽  
Deficiency Diseases

scholarly journals Developing a Global Strategy for the Control of Folate Deficiency and Folic Acid Responsive Neural Tube Defects in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (P10-107-19)

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Homero Martinez ◽  
Jessica Poulin ◽  
Aliki Weakland ◽  
Lynn Bailey ◽  
Rajesh Mehta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Folic Acid ◽  
Neural Tube ◽  
Neural Tube Defects ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Folate Deficiency ◽  
Folate Status ◽  
Task Team ◽  
Global Action ◽  
Global Stakeholders ◽  
Global Action Plan

Abstract Objectives To develop a global action plan for the control of folate deficiency and folic acid responsive neural tube defects (anencephaly and spina bifida) Methods • Establish a multi- and inter-disciplinary group to develop a global action plan for folate-sensitive NTD prevention • Ensure regional lab capacity exists to assess folate status applying a harmonized microbiologic assay (MBA) to measure red blood cell (RBC) folate, establishing a global network of regional laboratories coordinated by an umbrella organization • Promote improvements of folate status in women of reproductive age (WRA) in LMIC, engaging a wide variety of national and global stakeholders • Address key knowledge gaps related to the prevention of folate sensitive NTDs • Improve knowledge availability and sharing amongst global stakeholders in NTD prevention • Communicate and share the work of the Folate Task Team Results • A standing Folate Task Team comprised of a 2-member Secretariat, a 10-member Expert Advisory Group, 4 Ex-Officio members, and 4 “As Needed” advisors (see Fig. 1) • Identification of an initial list of 12 global stakeholders and partner organizations • Five resource laboratories have been trained at the Division of Laboratory Sciences - CDC, including labs in Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Tanzania, and Pakistan • A training video supported by a manual and mini posters to illustrate specific activities of the assay has been produced by CDC. • A landscaping analysis has identified countries that have mandatory/voluntary food fortification practices, information on folate status in the population, burden of NTDs, and consumption patterns of fortified foods • Identification of alternative foods/food vehicles likely to be fortified to reach at-risk segments of WRA • Dissemination activities are shared at https://www.nutritionintl.org/what-we-do/nteam/folate-task-team/ Conclusions • The estimated global prevalence of NTD-affected pregnancies is estimated to be 260,100 in 2015 and has a significant emotional and economic impact on families and society, while contributing to the loss of human potential for countries • The global action provides a clear path forward to help direct and prioritize investments, advance resource mobilization, and garner the political will to accelerate NTD prevention in LMIC Funding Sources The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Supporting Tables, Images and/or Graphs

scholarly journals Balanced Essential Micronutrients during Pregnancy: High Concern

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 259-261
Author(s):  
Srilatha Bashetti ◽  
Kumar SaiSailesh ◽  
Aparna Varma ◽  
Rajagopalan Vijayaraghavan
Keyword(s):  
Folic Acid ◽  
Vitamin B12 ◽  
Neural Tube ◽  
Neural Tube Defects ◽  
Carbon Metabolism ◽  
Strong Predictor ◽  
Fetal Loss ◽  
Folate Deficiency ◽  
Cobalamin Deficiency ◽  
One Carbon Metabolism

Nutrition and epigenetic changes is the emerging topic of interest in the present scenario to understand the effects of increased supplementation of micronutrients like Folic Acid (FA). The study is taken up in the public health interest, to evaluate the importance of balancing the different micronutrients in the diet to avoid unbalanced nutritional disorders and other health complications later in life. It has been hypothesized that disease risks after birth or later in life can be determined by paternal or maternal diet. This raised an interest to study in-utero effects of environmental exposures like air pollution, toxins, nutrition, etc. It had been assumed that during embryonic period most of the dividing tissues get exposed to the environmental insults and that change results in predisposition of cancer or other health outcomes. There could be the possibility of maternal exposures like nutrition may alter the intrauterine one-carbon metabolism or the precursor milieu and may be involved in the disruption of one-carbon metabolism in developing offspring. Modification in methyl me of offspring with subsequent changes in phenotypes has been noted in the preliminary studies with increased folic acid (FA) supplementation during pregnancy. Maternal folate deficiency has been implicated as a cause of prematurity and both folate deficiency and cobalamin deficiency have been implicated in recurrent fetal loss and neural tube defects. Folic acid supplementation at the time of conception and in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy is expected to reduce by 70% the incidence of neural tube defects (NTDs) (meningomyelocele, encephalocele and spina bifida) in the fetus. Most of the protective effect can be achieved by taking folic acid, 0.4 mg daily at the time of conception. However there is no clear relationship between maternal folatestatus and the fetal abnormalities. It has been observed that, the lower the maternal folate, the greater the risk to the fetus. On the other hand maternal cobalamin status is a strong predictor of vitamin B12 in breastfed infants up to at least 6 months of age. Because of the transfer from mother to offspring during pregnancy and lactation, maternal requirements during this period are increased and deficiency may occur. The influence of low vitamin B12 during pregnancy may have cognitive ability of children later in life. Hypothyroidism is caused by insufficient production of thyroid hormones by the thyroid gland. In females, hypothyroidism is associated mainly with oligomenorrhea.

The Prevalence of Neural Tube Defects in Sétif University Maternity Hospital, Algeria-3 Years Review (2004-2006)

Pteridines ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bakhouche Houcher ◽  
Romyla Bourouba ◽  
Farida Djabi ◽  
Zahira Houcher
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Folic Acid ◽  
Spina Bifida ◽  
Birth Defects ◽  
Neural Tube ◽  
Neural Tube Defects ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Retrospective Chart Review ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Mortality And Morbidity

Abstract Neural tube defects (NTDs) including spina bifida, anencephaly and encephalocele are among the most common birth defects, with high associated mortality and morbidity. There are no data concerning the incidence, associated anomalies, treatment and outcome of NTDs in Algeria. The objective of this study is to analyse data on NTD cases from 2004-2006 at Sétif Hospital, a hospital with 8,000-10,000 deliveries annually. A retrospective chart review of patients with NTDs was performed, who were born at Sétif Hospital 2004-2006. During the 3 year period we examined, there were 215 patients with NTDs treated in the Sétif Hospital. The incidence of NTD is 7.5 per 1,000 births. The sex distribution was not equal among NTD cases, 126 (58.6%) females, 88 (40.9%) males and one (0.5%) unidentified sex. Among all NTD cases, there where 122 (56.7%) with spina bifida, 69 (32.1%) with anencephaly, 1 (0.5%) with encephalocele and 23 (10.7%) with anencephaly and spina bifida. Hundred and seventeen (54.4%) cases died in utero and 4 cases (1.9%) unknown. The rate of consanguinity among all NTD cases was 13% (28/215). The rate of affected newborns was highest in mothers aged 31-35 years (21.9%). The peak prevalence was in June (15.8%). A half of NTDs were spina bifida and there was a high rate of mortality. This study demonstrates that NTD represents a significant public health problem in Algeria. In Algeria there were no population-wide educational campaigns about folic acid or its association with the prevention of birth defects. Public health interventions aimed at increasing the periconceptional consumption of folic acid should be implemented or enhanced to reduce the incidence of NTDs in Algeria.

scholarly journals Abnormities in boy anencephalic newborn in Iran

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (04) ◽  
pp. 197-199
Author(s):  
P. Bayat
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Folic Acid ◽  
Birth Defects ◽  
Neural Tube ◽  
Neural Tube Defects ◽  
Antenatal Clinic ◽  
Environmental Toxins ◽  
Exact Number ◽  
Unborn Baby ◽  
Arak City

Abstract Introduction: Anencephaly is one of the most common neural tube defects. Neural tube defects are birth defects that affect the tissue that grows into the spinal cord and brain. Anencephaly occurs early in the development of an unborn baby. It results when the upper part of the neural tube fails to close. Why this happens is not known. Possible causes include environmental toxins and low intake of folic acid during pregnancy. Anencephaly occurs in about 4 out of 10,000 births. The exact number is unknown, because many of these pregnancies result in miscarriage. Having one infant with this condition increases the risk of having another child with neural tube defects. Materials and Methods & Results: We report a case anencephaly fetal and his characters in this study from 11543 women in 18month attending the antenatal clinic (Taleghani gynecology center in Arak city of Iranian center). Conclusion: It is recommended for this fetal disorder, mother ultrasound at from 12 to 20 weeks of pregnancy

scholarly journals Gene Environment Interactions in the Etiology of Neural Tube Defects

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard H. Finnell ◽  
Carlo Donato Caiaffa ◽  
Sung-Eun Kim ◽  
Yunping Lei ◽  
John Steele ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Folic Acid ◽  
Spina Bifida ◽  
Birth Defects ◽  
Neural Tube ◽  
Neural Tube Defects ◽  
The United States ◽  
Model Systems ◽  
Posterior Portion ◽  
Gene Environment

Human structural congenital malformations are the leading cause of infant mortality in the United States. Estimates from the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) determine that close to 3% of all United States newborns present with birth defects; the worldwide estimate approaches 6% of infants presenting with congenital anomalies. The scientific community has recognized for decades that the majority of birth defects have undetermined etiologies, although we propose that environmental agents interacting with inherited susceptibility genes are the major contributing factors. Neural tube defects (NTDs) are among the most prevalent human birth defects and as such, these malformations will be the primary focus of this review. NTDs result from failures in embryonic central nervous system development and are classified by their anatomical locations. Defects in the posterior portion of the neural tube are referred to as meningomyeloceles (spina bifida), while the more anterior defects are differentiated as anencephaly, encephalocele, or iniencephaly. Craniorachischisis involves a failure of the neural folds to elevate and thus disrupt the entire length of the neural tube. Worldwide NTDs have a prevalence of approximately 18.6 per 10,000 live births. It is widely believed that genetic factors are responsible for some 70% of NTDs, while the intrauterine environment tips the balance toward neurulation failure in at risk individuals. Despite aggressive educational campaigns to inform the public about folic acid supplementation and the benefits of providing mandatory folic acid food fortification in the United States, NTDs still affect up to 2,300 United States births annually and some 166,000 spina bifida patients currently live in the United States, more than half of whom are now adults. Within the context of this review, we will consider the role of maternal nutritional status (deficiency states involving B vitamins and one carbon analytes) and the potential modifiers of NTD risk beyond folic acid. There are several well-established human teratogens that contribute to the population burden of NTDs, including: industrial waste and pollutants [e.g., arsenic, pesticides, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)], pharmaceuticals (e.g., anti-epileptic medications), and maternal hyperthermia during the first trimester. Animal models for these teratogens are described with attention focused on valproic acid (VPA; Depakote). Genetic interrogation of model systems involving VPA will be used as a model approach to discerning susceptibility factors that define the gene-environment interactions contributing to the etiology of NTDs.

A Public Health Success Story: Folic Acid Fortification and Supplementation for Prevention of Neural Tube Defects

2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda Longerich ◽  
Roy West ◽  
Ed Randell ◽  
Marian Crowley ◽  
Shiliang Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Folic Acid ◽  
Neural Tube ◽  
Neural Tube Defects ◽  
Success Story ◽  
Folic Acid Fortification
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