scholarly journals Low Prevalence of Folic Acid Supplementation during Pregnancy: A Multicenter Study in Vietnam

Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 2347 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ha ◽  
Zhao ◽  
Binns ◽  
Pham ◽  
Nguyen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Folic Acid ◽  
Neural Tube ◽  
Multicenter Study ◽  
First Trimester ◽  
Folic Acid Supplementation ◽  
Antenatal Visit ◽  
Maternal Characteristics ◽  
Supplement Use ◽  
Education Levels ◽  
Formal Employment

Periconceptional folic acid (FA) supplementation is recommended to prevent neural tube defects (NTDs), but little information is known about its use in Vietnam. It is important that FA supplements start to be taken when planning a pregnancy and continued through the first trimester to prevent NTDs, as the neural tube closes in the first month of pregnancy. However, FA supplementation in Vietnam is usually recommended to commence from the first antenatal visit, which is usually at 16 weeks, and very few women take FA before their first visit. This multicenter study aimed to determine the prevalence of FA supplement use and associated maternal characteristics in Vietnam. FA supplementation was assessed in 2030 singleton pregnant women between 2015 and 2016. In total, 654 (32.2%) women reported taking either supplements containing FA alone or multivitamins containing FA, and 505 (24.9%) reported correctly taking supplements containing FA alone. Women who were aged 30 years or over, had low education levels, had formal employment, and whose current pregnancy was first or unplanned were less likely to supplement with FA. Education programs are needed to encourage FA supplementation when contemplating pregnancy.

scholarly journals Prevalence of Folic Acid Supplementation by Pregnant Women in Vietnam (P10-102-19)

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anh Ha ◽  
Yun Zhao ◽  
Colin W Binns ◽  
Andy Lee
Keyword(s):  
Folic Acid ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Neural Tube ◽  
Outcome Variable ◽  
Binary Outcome ◽  
Folic Acid Supplement ◽  
Regular User ◽  
Maternal Characteristics ◽  
Formal Employment ◽  
Multivitamin Supplements

Abstract Objectives To determine the prevalence of folic acid supplement use and associated maternal characteristics in Vietnam. Methods A multicentre cohort study to which logistics regression analyses were used to explore factors that determined whether folic acid was taken. Folic acid usage was assessed via face-to-face interviews with 2030 pregnant women at 24–28th week of gestation in Hanoi, Haiphong and Hochiminh City, Vietnam during 2015–2017. Given that the multivitamin supplements available in Vietnam contain folic acid, the first binary outcome variable was defined as the use of either folic acid or multivitamin supplements for the entire first six months of pregnancy (1 = regular user, 0 = non-regular user). The second binary outcome variable was defined as the use of folic acid supplement only for the entire first six months of pregnancy (1 = regular user, 0 = non-regular user). For both outcomes, the ‘non-regular user’ group included participants who never consumed the supplement (non-users) and those users who took the tablets for less than the six-month pregnancy period. Information on maternal characteristics was also obtained during the baseline interview, including age, formal employment, education level, parity, pre-pregnancy BMI, and planned pregnancy. Results The proportions of pregnant women who reported getting folic acid for the entire first six months of pregnancy was low at 25.8% for either folic acid or multivitamin supplements, and 20.1% for folic acid supplements only. This means that almost 75–80% of mothers did not take folic acid during the first trimester of pregnancy, leaving almost all Vietnamese mothers unprotected against neural tube defects. Women aged 30–34 years and those with low education levels, formal employment, first or unplanned pregnancy, were less likely to consume these supplements. Conclusions The results show that the number of women taking folic acid in the early stages of pregnancy is low. In order to prevent neural tube defects for all Vietnamese children, improved policies are needed for the distribution of folic acid tablets and health promotion campaigns targeting these vulnerable subgroups of women for usage and adherence are recommended. Funding Sources This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

scholarly journals Magnitude and Associated Factors of Neural Tube Defects in Ethiopia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 2333794X2093942
Author(s):  
Zebenay Workneh Bitew ◽  
Teshager Worku ◽  
Anmut Alebel ◽  
Ayinalem Alemu
Keyword(s):  
Folic Acid ◽  
Neural Tube ◽  
Neural Tube Defects ◽  
Associated Factors ◽  
Unplanned Pregnancy ◽  
First Trimester ◽  
Folic Acid Supplementation ◽  
Childbearing Age ◽  
Acid Supplementation ◽  
Pooled Prevalence

Neural tube defects remain a major problem in developing countries, but there are limited comprehensive national reports to date in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the prevalence of neural tube defects and associated factors in Ethiopia. Electronic databases and other sources were used to retrieve studies. Fifteen out of 862 studies were included in the final analysis. The estimated pooled prevalence of neural tube defects among children in Ethiopia was 63.3 cases per 10 000 children. The pooled prevalence of spinal bifida, anencephaly, and encephalocele was 41.09, 18.90, and 1.07 per 10 000 children, respectively. Previous family history and unplanned pregnancy were risk factors for neural tube defects. Folic acid supplementation during the first trimester of pregnancy was found to be protective. Neural tube defects are widespread in Ethiopia. Hence, fortification of food with folic acid or folic acid supplementation during childbearing age is recommended.

scholarly journals Maternal folic acid supplement use in early pregnancy and child behavioural problems: The Generation R Study

2009 ◽  
Vol 103 (3) ◽  
pp. 445-452 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabine J. Roza ◽  
Tamara van Batenburg-Eddes ◽  
Eric A. P. Steegers ◽  
Vincent W. V. Jaddoe ◽  
Johan P. Mackenbach ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Folic Acid ◽  
Neural Tube ◽  
Neural Tube Defects ◽  
Early Pregnancy ◽  
First Trimester ◽  
Child Behaviour ◽  
Folic Acid Supplement ◽  
Supplement Use ◽  
Acid Supplement ◽  
Folic Acid Supplements

Folate deficiency during embryogenesis is an established risk factor for neural tube defects in the fetus. An adequate folate nutritional status is also important for normal fetal growth and brain development. The aim of the present research was to study the association between folic acid use of the mother during pregnancy and child behavioural development. Within a population-based cohort, we prospectively assessed folic acid supplement use during the first trimester by questionnaire. Child behavioural and emotional problems were assessed with the Child Behaviour Checklist at the age of 18 months in 4214 toddlers. Results showed that children of mothers who did not use folic acid supplements in the first trimester had a higher risk of total problems (OR 1·44; 95 % CI 1·12, 1·86). Folic acid supplement use protected both from internalising (OR of no supplement use 1·65; 95 % CI 1·24, 2·19) and externalising problems (OR 1·45; 95 % CI 1·17, 1·80), even when adjusted for maternal characteristics. Birth weight and size of the fetal head did not mediate the association between folic acid use and child behaviour. In conclusion, inadequate use of folic acid supplements during early pregnancy may be associated with a higher risk of behavioural problems in the offspring. Folic acid supplementation in early pregnancy, aimed to prevent neural tube defects, may also reduce mental health problems in children.

scholarly journals Verbal abilities in children of mothers with epilepsy

Neurology ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 91 (9) ◽  
pp. e811-e821 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabeth Synnøve Nilsen Husebye ◽  
Nils Erik Gilhus ◽  
Bettina Riedel ◽  
Olav Spigset ◽  
Anne Kjersti Daltveit ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Folic Acid ◽  
First Trimester ◽  
Maternal Plasma ◽  
Folic Acid Supplementation ◽  
Language Delay ◽  
Verbal Abilities ◽  
Acid Supplementation ◽  
Supplement Use ◽  
Plasma Folate ◽  
Mother And Child

ObjectiveTo examine the effect of maternal folic acid supplementation and maternal plasma folate and antiepileptic drug (AED) concentrations on language delay in AED-exposed children of mothers with epilepsy.MethodsChildren of mothers with and without epilepsy enrolled from 1999 to 2008 in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort study were included. Information on medical history, AED use, and folic acid supplementation during pregnancy was collected from parent-completed questionnaires. Maternal plasma folate and maternal plasma and umbilical cord AED concentrations were measured in blood samples from gestational weeks 17 to 19 and immediately after birth, respectively. Language development at 18 and 36 months was evaluated by the Ages and Stages Questionnaires.ResultsA total of 335 AED-exposed children of mothers with epilepsy and 104,222 children of mothers without epilepsy were surveyed. For those with no maternal periconceptional folic acid supplementation, the fully adjusted odds ratio (OR) for language delay in AED-exposed children compared to the controls at 18 months was 3.9 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.9–7.8, p < 0.001) and at 36 months was 4.7 (95% CI 2.0–10.6, p < 0.001). When folic supplementation was used, the corresponding ORs for language delay were 1.7 (95% CI 1.2–2.6, p = 0.01) and 1.7 (95% CI 0.9–3.2, p = 0.13), respectively. The positive effect of folic acid supplement use on language delay in AED-exposed children was significant only when supplement was used in the period from 4 weeks before the pregnancy and until the end of the first trimester.ConclusionFolic acid use early in pregnancy may have a preventive effect on language delay associated with in utero AED exposure.

scholarly journals KNOWLEDGE OF WOMEN

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (07) ◽  
pp. 828-834
Author(s):  
Anum Fatima ◽  
Nadia Saif ◽  
Mansoor Ghani ◽  
Sardar Ali
Keyword(s):  
Folic Acid ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Neural Tube ◽  
Survey Design ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
First Trimester ◽  
Folic Acid Supplementation ◽  
Knowledge Based ◽  
Increase Risk ◽  
Level Of Knowledge

Objectives: Around 50 to 70% of the neural tube defects can be prevented if awoman consumes sufficient folic acid daily before conception and throughout first trimester ofher pregnancy. Therefore, the women should be well aware about the apt supplementation offolic acid to mitigate those miseries that can be resulted from its deficiency. Study Design: Adescriptive survey design. Setting: Obstetrical OPDs of Lahore General Hospital, Lady AitchisonHospital, Jinnah Hospital Lahore, DHQ Hospital Multan, DHQ Hospital Faisalabad, and DHQHospital Rawalpindi. Methodology: A total of 300 pregnant women were studied to assess thelevel of knowledge and practices among women regarding use of folic acid before and duringpregnancy. Non probability convenient sampling technique was used for the purpose. Data wascollected by a self administered questionnaire and was analysed by SPSS version 20. A p-valueof ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The results signified that a majorfraction of pregnant women 227 (76%) were having poor level of knowledge as they scoredless than 50% on knowledge based questions in the questionnaire. Only 4% were distinguishedwith excellent knowledge according to arbitrary scale, which were made-up to be a very lowpercentage. Conclusion: Findings of the study suggested that the knowledge of the womenregarding folic acid supplementation is insufficient that may in response lead to increase risk forthe incidences of neural tube defect.

scholarly journals Incidence of neural tube defects and their risk factors within a cohort of Moroccan newborn infants

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Khenata Forci ◽  
El Arbi Bouaiti ◽  
Mohamed Hassan Alami ◽  
Asmaa Mdaghri Alaoui ◽  
Amal Thimou Izgua
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Folic Acid ◽  
Neural Tube ◽  
Neural Tube Defects ◽  
Newborn Infants ◽  
First Trimester ◽  
Folic Acid Supplementation ◽  
Medical Monitoring ◽  
Acid Supplementation ◽  
Periconceptional Period

Abstract Background Neural tube defects (NTDs) are a group of birth defects that result from a partial or complete failure of the neural tube to close during embryogenesis. Their prevalence varies between 0.5 to 2 per 1000 births in countries without folic acid supplementation. The aim of our study is to assess the NTDs incidence and describe the risk factors within Moroccan newborn infants. Method This is a descriptive study over a period of 5 and a half years including all births at “Les Orangers” Maternity and Reproductive Health Hospital of Rabat with notification of NTD cases, whether isolated or combined with other anomalies. Data were reported on pre-established sheets and on the teratovigilance registry. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS version 18 statistical software. Results During the study period, 43,923 births were recorded including 44 cases of neural tube defects, an incidence rate of 1 per 1000 births, with a female predominance; sex ratio = 0.8. These defects included anencephaly (50%), spina bifida (38.6%) and encephalocele (11.4%). The risk factors detected during this study include consanguinity (34%), consumption of fenugreek or other plants (36%), diabetes (4.5%) and medication (2.2%). A family history of malformation was reported in 6.8% of cases and among siblings in 4.5% of cases. The average maternal age was 30.38 ± 6.88 and the average gestational age was 36.80 ± 5.11. A quarter of mothers did not benefit from any medical monitoring during pregnancy while 59% did not take folic acid supplementation during the first trimester of pregnancy and none of them took B9 vitamin during the periconceptional period. The antenatal diagnosis was performed in 63% of cases. The mortality rate was 3.8 per 10,000 and 16% of cases evolved positively. Conclusion NTDs require high intensity and multidisciplinary care which stresses the importance, in our context, of strengthening and optimizing acid folic supplementation strategies during the periconceptional period.

scholarly journals Duration of periconceptional folic acid supplementation in women booking for antenatal care

2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 371-379 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shona Cawley ◽  
Laura Mullaney ◽  
Rachel Kennedy ◽  
Maria Farren ◽  
Daniel McCartney ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Folic Acid ◽  
Neural Tube ◽  
First Trimester ◽  
Maternity Hospital ◽  
Folic Acid Supplementation ◽  
Maternal Weight ◽  
Time Duration ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Almost All

AbstractObjectiveTo provide accurate estimates of the commencement time, duration and dosage of folic acid (FA) supplementation taken by Irish women in the periconceptional period. The study also aimed to establish the factors associated with optimal FA supplementation practices.DesignCross-sectional observational study. Women’s clinical and sociodemographic details were computerised. Maternal weight and height were measured before calculating BMI. Detailed FA supplementation questionnaires were completed under the supervision of a trained researcher.SettingA large university maternity hospital, Republic of Ireland, January 2014–April 2016.SubjectsWomen (n856) recruited at their convenience in the first trimester.ResultsWhile almost all of the women (97 %) were taking FA at enrolment, only one in four women took FA for at least 12 weeks preconceptionally (n208). Among the 44 % of women who were supplementing with FA preconceptionally, 44 % (162/370) reported taking FA for less than the 12 weeks required to achieve optimal red-blood-cell folate levels for prevention of neural tube defects. On multivariate analysis, only planned pregnancy and nulliparity were associated with taking FA for at least 12 weeks preconceptionally. Among women who only took FA postconceptionally, almost two-thirds commenced it after day 28 of their pregnancy when the neural tube had already closed.ConclusionsAs the timing of FA was suboptimal both before and after conception, we recommend that current national FA guidelines need to be reviewed.

scholarly journals Open Neural Tube Defects: A Case Presentation of 30-year-old Secundigravida with Spina Bifida of the Fetus

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 411-417
Author(s):  
Anzhel S ◽  
Kovachev E ◽  
Tonchev AB ◽  
Georgiev B ◽  
Yaneva G ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cerebrospinal Fluid ◽  
Folic Acid ◽  
Spina Bifida ◽  
Neural Tube ◽  
Neural Tube Defects ◽  
First Trimester ◽  
Folic Acid Supplementation ◽  
Patient Counseling ◽  
Case Presentation ◽  
Spina Bifida Aperta

Spina bifida is a neural tube defect that occurs in about 1 in 1,500 pregnancies. Open spinal defects are associated with paralysis, incontinence and hydrocephalus requiring postnatal shunting of the cerebrospinal fluid. Neural tube defects are preventable through preconceptional folic acid supplementation. Occasionally, the diagnosis is made during routine anomaly scan at 18-20 weeks of gestation, as the earliest signs of the anomaly can be seen at the end of first trimester. The information provided by ultrasound plays a crucial role in patient counseling and pregnancy management. The authors report a case of prenatal diagnosis of spina bifida aperta with focus on detailed ultrasound presentation and difficulties in consulting in relation to the prognosis for the newborns.

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