Primary Prevention of Neural-Tube Defects and Some Other Major Congenital Abnormalities

Abstract Background This study aimed to retrospectively analyze the correlation between congenital abnormality of the urogenital system and various factors in children with neural tube defects (NTDs). Methods A total of 190 children with congenital NTDs, who were admitted to a hospital from May 2013 to May 2018, were included into the present study. All admitted children with congenital NTDs were carried out routine abdominal B-ultrasound examinations to determine the malformations of the abdominal organs, including the urinary system. Children with a B-ultrasound result of suspected and unsure malformation underwent intravenous pyelography (IVP) and voiding cysto-urethrography (VCU), and this was further confirmed by the CT results. Results The incidence of urogenital malformation was 12.1% (23/190) in children with congenital NTDs. For the 23 children with urogenital malformations, most of these children had no definite urinary system symptoms, while some of these children had multiple incidences of urinary system infections. Conclusions Congenital NTDs are often combined with urogenital malformations, if not specifically searched these may be overlooked. The early detection of these malformations is beneficial to reduce the risk of operation and improve the prognosis.

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Neural Tube Defects: A Two-Pronged Approach to Primary Prevention

PEDIATRICS ◽

10.1542/peds.70.4.648 ◽

1982 ◽

Vol 70 (4) ◽

pp. 648-650

Author(s):

K. M. Laurence

Keyword(s):

Folic Acid ◽

Primary Prevention ◽

Environmental Factors ◽

Neural Tube ◽

Neural Tube Defects ◽

Genetic Background ◽

Genetic Factors ◽

Maternal Nutrition ◽

Folic Acid Deficiency ◽

Acid Deficiency

It is generally agreed that neural tube defects (NTD) have a multifactorial etiology when genetic factors render the developing fetus susceptible to intrauterine environmental factors acting during the fourth week of gestation to interfere with the orderly closure of the neural tube.1 As there is little likelihood that anything can be done about the genetic background, primary prevention would therefore be dependent on eliminating these factors from the environment or avoiding them. My intention here is to enlarge on some aspects of primary prevention of NTD as outlined by Smithells in an earlier issue (Pediatrics 69:498, 1982).2 One environmental factor, poor maternal nutrition and, more particularly, folic acid deficiency seems now to have been identified, but there are almost certainly a number of others.

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Mengenal Spina Bifida dan Pencegahannya

Jurnal Syntax Fusion ◽

10.54543/fusion.v1i12.119 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 1 (12) ◽

pp. 896-903

Author(s):

Genta Faesal Atsani ◽

Zanetha Mauly Ilawanda ◽

Ilma Fahira Basyir

Keyword(s):

Spina Bifida ◽

Birth Defects ◽

Neural Tube ◽

Neural Tube Defects ◽

Congenital Abnormality ◽

Congenital Abnormalities ◽

Folic Acid Supplementation ◽

Online Portal ◽

The Brain ◽

Developing Spinal Cord

Neural tube defects (NTD) are one of the birth defects or congenital abnormalities that occur in the brain and spine, and commonly find in newborns worldwide. Anencephaly and spina bifida are the two prevalent forms of NTD. The incidence of spina bifida happen on average 1 in 1000 cases of birth worldwide and there are 140,000 cases per year worldwide. Source searches were carried out on the online portal of journal publications as many as 20 sources from MedScape, Google Scholar and the Nation Center for Biotechnology Information / NCBI with the keywords “Neural tube defects (NTD), prevention, and spina bifida”. Spina bifida is a congenital abnormality that occurs in the womb due to a failure of closing process the neural tube during the first few weeks of embryonic development which causes the spine not completely close around the developing spinal cord nerves. NTD can ensue multifactorial conditions such as genetic, environmental, and folate deficiency. The use of folic acid supplementation starting at least 3 months before pregnancy, those are 400 mcg (0.4 mg) per day and 800 mcg per day during pregnancy can reduce the risk of developing neural tube defects such as spina bifida. Generally, spina bifida is undertaking by surgery and the regulation of patients comorbid. Public can find out prevention to avoid or reduce the risk of spina bifida so that the incidence of spina bifida can decrease along with the increasing awareness of the community regarding this disease.

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