Folate Supplements Should Be Appropriately Labeled to Protect Consumers

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 93 (4) ◽  
pp. 694-695
Author(s):  
Victor Herbert
Keyword(s):  
Folic Acid ◽  
Disease Control ◽  
Neural Tube ◽  
Neural Tube Defects ◽  
Neural Tube Defect ◽  
Folate Supplementation ◽  
Over The Counter ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Centers For Disease Control ◽  
September Issue

Caveats are needed regarding the Academy of Pediatrics policy statement1 (in the September issue of Pediatrics) advising all women capable of becoming pregnant to take a daily over-the-counter multivitamin containing 0.4 mg of folic acid to reduce the frequency of neural tube defect (NTD) babies. I provided similar advice in my 1992 paper, "Folate and Neural Tube Defects".2 However, in that paper I discussed important caveats. I repeated and extended those caveats at the August 12, 1993, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) meeting on monitoring the effects of folate supplementation.

scholarly journals Neural Tube Defects: A case report

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 228-230
Author(s):  
Bishnu Gautam
Keyword(s):  
Folic Acid ◽  
Case Report ◽  
Neural Tube ◽  
Neural Tube Defects ◽  
Neural Tube Defect ◽  
Prenatal Counseling ◽  
Folic Acid Supplement ◽  
Folic Acid Supplements ◽  
Period Of Gestation

Neural tube defect is rare congenital defect of fetus. I have a case of 13 weeks period of gestation with meningomeyelocele came for termination of pregnancy. The diagnosis was confirmed by ultrasonography. History suggests that patient had previous neural tube defect baby, non-compliance to folic acid supplements. It is concluded that prenatal counseling, adherence to folic acid supplement and regular follow-up can prevent further complication.

scholarly journals Maternal Vitamin B12 Status and Risk of Neural Tube Defects in a Population With High Neural Tube Defect Prevalence and No Folic Acid Fortification

PEDIATRICS ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 123 (3) ◽  
pp. 917-923 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. M. Molloy ◽  
P. N. Kirke ◽  
J. F. Troendle ◽  
H. Burke ◽  
M. Sutton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Folic Acid ◽  
Vitamin B12 ◽  
Neural Tube ◽  
Neural Tube Defects ◽  
Neural Tube Defect ◽  
Folic Acid Fortification ◽  
Maternal Vitamin

scholarly journals Complex Nature of Neural Tube Defects: A Regional Experience

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 119
Author(s):  
Emrah Turhan ◽  
Fusun G Varol ◽  
Hakan Gurkan ◽  
Cenk N. Sayin
Keyword(s):  
Folic Acid ◽  
Vitamin B12 ◽  
Neural Tube ◽  
Neural Tube Defects ◽  
Neural Tube Defect ◽  
Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase ◽  
Maternal Serum ◽  
Northwestern Region ◽  
Zinc Levels ◽  
Serum Folic Acid

<p><strong>Objective:</strong> The underlying gene-environment interaction of fetal neural tube defects is affected by several factors including geography, ethnicity and time. Local features of fetal neural tube defects were described.<br /><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Study Design:</strong> A prospective cohort study of 48 fetal neural tube defects in a single tertiary medical center at the northwestern region of Turkey (2013-2015) was done via ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), conventional karyotyping, maternal methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase c.677C&gt;T (rs1801133) single-nucleotide polymorphism and maternal serum levels of folic acid, vitamin B12 and zinc. For comparison of means, a Student’s T-Test was used.</p><p><strong>Results:</strong> The prevalence of neural tube defects was 11.4 per 10000 births (48/42000) in northwestern Turkey. The defects on the cranium (n=23; 47.9%) and spine (n=25; 52.1%) were ultrasonographically detected. MRI did not give additional benefit over the ultrasonography. The ratio of associated anomalies in neural tube defect group was 25%. Two fetal neural tube defects with Down syndrome were remarkable. The rate of homozygous methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase c.677C &gt; T SNPs among the mothers of neural tube defect fetuses (n=20) was 15%. Comparing with gestationally matched healthy pregnancies, although maternal BMIs and periconceptional folate intake of neural tube defect group were significantly different, maternal serum folic acid, vitamin B12 and zinc levels were similar.</p><p><strong>Conclusion:</strong> The northwestern region appeared to be a relatively low prevalence area of Turkey for fetal neural tube defects. Any association with maternal serum folic acid, vitamin B12 and zinc levels could not be shown in this region.</p>

scholarly journals Folic acid and brain function in childhood

2021 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 88-92
Author(s):  
Asindi Asindi ◽  
Komomo Eyong
Keyword(s):  
Cerebral Cortex ◽  
Folic Acid ◽  
Antenatal Care ◽  
Neural Tube ◽  
Neural Tube Defects ◽  
Folic Acid Supplementation ◽  
Folate Supplementation ◽  
Folic Acid Fortification ◽  
Acid Supplementation ◽  
Child Bearing

Folic acid supplementation does not only prevent neural tube defects in the foetus but is an essential ingredient in the growth and development of the cerebral cortex. This micronutrient promotes the thickness of the cerebral cortex; the extent of the thickness being directly proportional to the intelligent quotient, neurocognitive and psychological output of the child. Children with thin cortices are prone to poor cognitive performance, autism and psychiatric disorders such as depression. Folic acid supplementation in the first three months of pregnancy largely protects against neural tube defects; studies have shown that children whose mothers take folic acid supplement throughout pregnancy exhibit relatively higher levels of emotional intelligence. Nevertheless, in spite of long-standing recommendations that women of child-bearing age take folic acid to protect against neural impairment, a large proportion do not comply; less than half of the world’s population lives in countries that require folic acid fortification of grain products. A large portion of pregnant women in poor world countries do not attend antenatal care hence have no access to prescription of essential haematinic/folic acid. It is recommended that all women who are either planning or capable of pregnancy take a daily supplements containing 0.4 - 0.8 mg (400-800 μg) of folic acid. Fortified foods like some breads, juices, and cereals contain adequate folic acid; others are leafy green vegetables, like spinach, broccoli, and lettuce beans, peas, and lentils. Fruits like lemons, bananas, and melons are also rich sources of folate. There is need for more advocacy regarding antenatal care of pregnant mothers with emphasis on folate supplementation before and throughout pregnancy, to boost the intellectual and psychological capacity of children into adulthood.

Drug and Environmental Factors Associated with Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes Part III: Folic Acid: Pharmacology, Therapeutic Recommendations, and Economics

1998 ◽  
Vol 32 (10) ◽  
pp. 1087-1095 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dale P Lewis ◽  
Don C Van Dyke ◽  
Phyllis J Stumbo ◽  
Mary J Berg
Keyword(s):  
Folic Acid ◽  
Mechanism Of Action ◽  
Neural Tube ◽  
Neural Tube Defects ◽  
Neural Tube Defect ◽  
Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase ◽  
Folate Intake ◽  
Cardiovascular Morbidity And Mortality ◽  
Cereal Grain ◽  
Therapeutic Recommendations

OBJECTIVE: To review folic acid's mechanism of action, adverse effects, therapeutic recommendations, compliance, and cost. DATA SOURCES: A MEDLINE search was conducted through December 1997. Additional sources were obtained from Current Contents and citations from the references obtained. Search terms included folate, folic acid, neural tube defect, homocysteine, and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase. STUDY SELECTION: Animal and human studies examining the effects of folate were reviewed. DATA EXTRACTION: Data collected included mechanism of action, safety issues, dosing recommendations, compliance with recommendations, and economics. DATA SYNTHESIS: Folic acid decreases neural tube defect risk through an effect on methionine–homocysteine metabolism. In addition, increased folate intake may reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Since toxicity is minimal, everyone can potentially benefit from increased folate consumption. To help achieve this, the Food and Drug Administration has mandated that cereal grain be fortified with 140 μg of folic acid per 100 g of grain, which will add approximately 0.1 mg of folate to the average diet. Studies recommend supplementing with 0.2 mg to promote optimal homocysteine concentrations and for preventing neural tube defects. CONCLUSIONS: Despite fortification, most women will still receive less folate than the 0.4 mg/d recommended by the Public Health Service. All population groups would benefit from increased folate intake. Current studies indicate 200 μg/d may be the minimum effective amount of fortification needed for normalizing homocysteine concentrations and preventing a significant number of neural tube defects; thus, a higher level of food fortification may be warranted.

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