Preventing neural tube defects in Europe: population based study.

Each year, more than 4500 pregnancies in the European Union are affected by neural tube defects. Unambiguous evidence of the effectiveness of periconceptional folic acid in preventing neural tube defects has been available since 1991, and improving folate status sufficiently could result in the prevention of more than two thirds of all neural tube defects. We report on trends in the prevalence of neural tube defects up to 2001, in the context of a survey in 16 European countries of periconceptional folic acid policies and their implementation. 3