OBJECTIVE To assess the efficacy of folic acid (FA) supplementation and fortification in preventing neural tube defects (NTDs) in a high prevalence region of the United States. STUDY DESIGN Active and passive surveillance methods were used to identify all fetuses/infants affected with an NTD in South Carolina. Prevalence rates were compared with FA intake to determine the effects of increased...

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE Preeclampsia and neural tube defects can be prevented during pregnancy. Today, there is level I evidence showing that calcium supplementation during pregnancy may prevent preeclampsia and that use of folic acid may prevent neural tube defects. The aim here was to evaluate the proportion of patients undergoing prenatal follow-up who had received a prescription for calcium a...

OBJECTIVE Periconceptional use of folic acid may effectively reduce the risk of fetal neural tube defects. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the awareness and use of folic acid during periconceptional period in Taiwan. MATERIALS AND METHODS A cross-sectional study was performed at Taiwan Adventist Hospital between March 2008 and December 2008. Data were obtained using a quest...

Epidemiological studies strongly suggest that parental air pollutants exposure during the periconceptional period may play a major role in causing fetal/newborn malformations, including a frequent heterogeneity in the methods applied and a difficulty in estimating the clear effect of environmental toxicants. Moreover, only some couples exposed to toxicants during the pre-conception period give ...

Folate has received international attention regarding its role in the risk-reduction of birth defects, specifically neural tube defects (NTDs). In 1998, health officials in Canada, like the United States, mandated the addition of folic acid to white flour and select grain products to increase the folate intake of reproductive-aged women. Subsequent to this initiative there has been an increase ...

OBJECTIVE To summarize the recommendations on folate intake and folic acid supplementation and fortification in the periconceptional period, aimed at prevention of neural tube defects (NTD), provided by official health organizations in different countries worldwide and WHO. DESIGN Information on recommendations for folate and folic acid intake in the periconceptional period was gathered from ...

BACKGROUND Despite strong evidence of the benefits of preconception interventions to improve pregnancy outcomes, the delivery and uptake of preconception care in general and periconceptional folate supplementation in particular remains low. The aim of this study was to determine women's views of the barriers and enablers to the uptake of preconception care and periconceptional folate supplement...

Maternal folic acid (FA) supplementation is one of the most popular nutritional interventions during pregnancy for its protective effect against neural tube defects (NTDs). The purposes of this review are: (a) to gather the current evidence regarding supplementation of maternal diet with FA and (b) to problematize the available literature in terms of dosages, critical temporal windows, and its ...