Northeast Mississippi steps up for March for Babies Apr 11, 2008
March of Dimes research has helped premature babies breathe better with surfactant and helped discover that folic acid could prevent neural tube defects. "We were here when you were a baby," Rhodes said. (Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal)
Microarray analysis of E9.5 reduced folate carrier (RFC1; Slc19a1) knockout embryos reveals altered expression of genes in the cubilin-megalin multiligand endocytic receptor complex Apr 10, 2008
5 RFC1-/- embryos are developmentally delayed relative to wildtype littermates, have multiple malformations, including neural tube defects, and die due to failure of chorioallantoic fusion. The mesoderm is sparse and disorganized, and there is a marked absence of erythrocytes in yolk sac blood islands. (BioMed Central)
Choline Reduces Risk of Breast Cancer Apr 4, 2008
Prevent Birth Defects: According to population-based research, infants from mothers whose diets were deficient in choline were four times more likely to have neural tube defects such as spina bifida. This increased risk was observed even when other nutrients that help prevent birth defects, such as folic acid, were in adequate supply. (Newsmax)
Folate fix for healthy dads, bubs Mar 25, 2008
This is to reduce the risk of neural tube defects such as spina bifida. The new study, published in leading journal Human Reproduction, suggested folate recommendations for men planning families might need to be increased if further research verified the findings. (Melbourne Herald Sun)
Folate may boost male fertility Mar 24, 2008
The importance of folate was established after several studies recognized that pregnant women who took the vitamin were less likely to have babies with neural tube defects. While folate remains a standard part of the diet for women readying to conceive, the role of the vitamin in the diets of fathers has been unclear. (Boston Globe)
Cycling For Food: Engineers Work On Pedal-powered Grain Crusher Mar 22, 2008
5, 2005) Miscarriages and infants born with neural tube defects are just two of the possible risks for pregnant women who consume corn that has been contaminated by the mycotoxin fumonisin produced by species. . (Science Daily)
Folate 'may keep sperm healthy' Mar 21, 2008
Campaigners say it would significantly cut the risk of neural tube defects such as spina bifida, but those against the move say some research has raised concerns that folic acid may be linked to an increased risk of cancer. Bookmark with. (BBC News -- Health)
My baby, right or wrong Mar 10, 2008
Today, prenatal screening for foetal anomalies, neural tube defects, Down's syndrome, sickle cell and thalassemia disorders are offered as standard. While the idea of choosing the colour of your baby's eyes, gender or personality traits is still largely abhorrent, allowing parents greater choices in the ability of their unborn child, as opposed to any potential disability, seems logical to most. (Guardian Unlimited)
Folic acid consumption before and during pregnancy Mar 8, 2008
Taking folic acid can help prevent specific neural tube defects, according to the March of Dimes ... Spina bifida, one of the two most common neural tube defects, is a condition in which there is exposure of part of the spinal cord and its coverings ... This "has apparently been successful in reducing neural tube defects in the United States, as well as in Canada," the authors say, adding that results might justify a decision to fortify flour in other countries. (News-Medical.net)
Folate in 2nd Trimester Helps Prevent Preeclampsia Feb 5, 2008
Current guidelines recommend 4 mg or 5 mg of folic acid for women who have high-risk pregnancies or are at risk for neural tube defects, such as spina bifida, Wen said. Very high doses of folic acid, however, can cause stomach problems, skin disorders and seizures. (MEDLINEplus)
Kudos for folic acid Feb 4, 2008
But adding this nutrient to enriched flour has contributed to a 26 percent decline in neural tube defects, which are disorders of an infant's spine and brain, according to the March of Dimes. The key is to get adequate folic acid (400 micrograms a day) before pregnancy as well as during the first three months of pregnancy. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Study: Folic acid reduces premature births Feb 1, 2008
It is important for women to get enough of it before and during a pregnancy to prevent major birth defects called neural tube defects including spina bifida and anencephaly, experts say. Leafy green vegetables, fruits, dried beans, peas and nuts are some of the foods that contain folic acid. (MSNBC -- Health)
Madison County Health Department - Weekly Health Notes Jan 18, 2008
The most common neural tube defects are spina bifida. This defect occurs during the first 28 days of pregnancy - usually before a woman even knows she s pregnant. (Park Hills Daily Journal, MO)
Women of Childbearing Age Don't Take Folic Acid Jan 15, 2008
These findings are concerning given the well-established link between low folate levels during pregnancy and the occurrence of neural tube defects, which include abnormalities in the development of the brain and spine, often resulting in severe disability or death ... In the second study, researchers from the Puerto Rico Department of Health and the CDC examined folic acid knowledge and consumption among women 18 to 44 years of age, along with the prevalence of neural tube defects in Puerto Rico... (MEDLINEplus)
Women not getting enough folic acid Jan 12, 2008
In 1992, U.S. government health experts recommended that all women of childbearing age consume 400 micrograms of folic acid daily to reduce their risk of having a pregnancy affected by birth defects called neural tube defects such as spina bifida and anencephaly. The Food and Drug Administration in 1998 ordered folic acid to be added to cereal grain products, which led to a 26 percent drop in the neural tube defect rate in the following years. (MSNBC -- Health)
New folic acid seal helps women choose enriched grain foods to help prevent birth defects Jan 12, 2008
Daily consumption of folic acid beginning before pregnancy is crucial because birth defects of the brain and spine known as neural tube defects (NTDs), such as spina bifida, can occur in the early weeks following conception, often before a woman knows she is pregnant ... Since the FDA issued the mandate in 1998, neural tube defects (NTDs), including spina bifida, have declined by 26 percent. (EurekAlert!)
Women of childbearing age don't take folic acid Jan 11, 2008
These findings are concerning given the well-established link between low folate levels during pregnancy and the occurrence of neural tube defects, which include abnormalities in the development of the brain and spine, often resulting in severe disability or death. To provide maximum benefit, folate levels need to be adequate from the start of the pregnancy, not just when a woman becomes aware of her pregnancy. (Reuters)
Folic Acid Consumption Has Declined in the U.S. Dec 20, 2007
However, folic acid levels have dropped the least in women who have the highest risk of being folic acid-deficient, so the impact on the risk of having infants born with serious brain and spinal abnormalities, referred to as neural tube defects, is likely to be moderate ... The researchers used data from 11 previous studies to assess the changes in folic acid levels and to estimate the effect on the occurrence of neural tube defects occurrence ... Estimates of the risk of neural tube defects,... (MEDLINEplus)
Women urged to take more folic acid Dec 17, 2007
The new recommendations, which come from experts with the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada and the Motherisk Program at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, are based on recent findings that show increased folic acid consumption can drastically reduce neural tube defects and other problems such as congenital heart disease, oral facial clefts, limb defects and some pediatric cancers. Font. (Canada.com)
• Weight And Pregnancy Dec 10, 2007
"There's more diabetes, more prematurity, more pre-eclampsia, more neural tube defects, a greater risk of stillbirth.". Longer Scalpels. (FOX61, CT)
Lack of B vitamins linked to obesity Nov 22, 2007
Low folate consumption is associated with neural tube defects, such as spina bifida, in unborn babies. Folate, or folic acid, is found in fruit and vegetables. (Scotsman)
Scientists question folic acid fortification Nov 3, 2007
In May, the Food Standards Agencys Board agreed unanimously that 'mandatory fortification' with folic acid should be introduced to make sure the number of babies born with neural tube defects is reduced ... Fortifying UK flour with folic acid would reduce the incidence of neural tube defects, said Dr Sin Astley of the Institute of Food Research. (EurekAlert!)
Folic acid fortification warning Oct 31, 2007
Researcher Dr Sian Astley said fortifying flour would undoubtedly reduce the number of neural tube defects among babies. Mandatory fortification has already been introduced in the US, Canada and Chile, where it cut defect rates by up to half. (BBC News -- Health)
'Putting folic acid in bread is dangerous' Oct 31, 2007
Dr Sian Astley from the institute said: "Fortifying UK flour with folic acid would reduce the incidence of neural tube defects (such as spina bifida)."However, with doses of half the amount being proposed for fortification in the UK, the liver becomes saturated and unmetabolised folic acid floats around the blood stream ... In the UK, between 700 and 900 pregnancies every year are affected by neural tube defects. (Telegraph.co.uk)
Women's Folic Acid Levels Improving Sep 18, 2007
These anomalies include serious neural tube defects such as spina bifida ... "Clinical trials have shown that folic acid supplementation effectively reduces the number of neural tube defects," said the study's lead author Christine M. Pfeiffer, acting chief of the Nutritional Biomarkers Branch at the CDC. ... Their study also cites a "lack of data" on just how much folate is ideal to shield against neural tube defects, and how much is too much from a safety standpoint. (MEDLINEplus)
working to wipe out nutritional misinformation Jul 26, 2007
For the baby, a mother's excessive weight gain raises the risk of neural tube defects, birth trauma and fetal death near term ... Women contemplating pregnancy and those already pregnant are advised to take a daily prenatal vitamin that contains 400 micrograms to 600 micrograms of folic acid to help prevent neural tube defects, as well as 18 milligrams to 27 milligrams of iron to prevent iron-deficiency anemia. (The Daily Reflector)
Steps Prior to Pregnancy Can Protect Baby Jul 22, 2007
Folic acid is a B vitamin that reduces the risk of neural tube defects such as spina bifida. Few women get enough folic acid in their diet, so it's important to take supplements. (Health-Finder)
Peptic Ulcer Disease Jul 19, 2007
H. pylori has recently (Felkner, 2007) been implicated in the cause of neural tube defects. Previous findings of the Texas Neural Tube Defects Projects suggested that bioavailability of nutrients is compromised during pregnancy for mothers of children affected with neural tube defects. (Suite101.com)
Canada's folic acid success to encourage others? Jul 16, 2007
13/07/2007 - If anyone needed further support for benefits of folic acid fortification, a new study shows that the incidence of neural tube defects in Canada has dropped by 46 per cent since the advent of folic acid addition to flours. The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, has implications for countries debating the effectiveness of. (NutraIngredients.com)
The parents with the hardest choice of all Jul 15, 2007
The abnormalities include cystic fibrosis, neural tube defects and Down's, Klinefelter's and Turner syndromes. 24 The legal limit in weeks for the termination of a pregnancy, unless the mother's health is in danger, or if 'severe abnormality' is detected. (Guardian Unlimited)
Get in Shape for Your Pregnancy Jul 10, 2007
"For instance, daily consumption of 400 micrograms of folic acid before or early in pregnancy can reduce the occurrence of neural tube defects," such as spina bifida. And while single interventions, such as taking folic acid or quitting smoking, are effective in modifying behaviors in pregnancy, "we do not yet know the effectiveness of multiple interventions packaged together in the form of a preconception care model," Atrash said, "mostly because this is a new approach that has not been widely... (MEDLINEplus)
Researchers probe risks, benefits of folic acid fortification Jul 10, 2007
BOSTON Since the institution of nationwide folic acid fortification of enriched grains in the mid 1990s, the number of infants born in the United States and Canada with neural tube defects has declined by 20 percent to 50 percent. Concurrent with the institution of fortification, however, the rate at which new cases of colorectal cancer were diagnosed in men and women increased, report researchers at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (USDA HNRCA) at Tufts University. (EurekAlert!)
Folic Acid Depletion in Pregnancy Jul 3, 2007
Neural tube defects (NTD) can arise when various parts of the neural tube fail to close resulting in malformation of the developing brain and spine ... Homocysteinemia causes an alteration of vitamin B12-dependent methionine synthase, folate dependent methylenetetra- hydrofolate-reductase, and vitamin B6-dependent cystathionine b-synthase, which may play a causative role in the development of neural tube defects ... There is evidence of the prevention of neural tube defects by methionine and... (Suite101.com)
Some Antidepressants Pose Birth Defect Risks Jun 28, 2007
The second study from the University of British Columbia also found a tripling of heart defects in babies born to mothers who took Paxil as well as an increased risk of neural tube defects. What's interesting is that neither study found any significant increase in birth defects from Prozac, Lexapro, and other antidepressants that, like Zoloft and Paxil, fall into the category of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. (U.S. News & World Report)
Adding Folic Acid To Bread Could Help In The Fight Against Depression Jun 27, 2007
Last month, the Food Standards Agency recommended to UK Health Ministers the introduction of mandatory fortification of either bread or flour with folic acid to prevent neural tube defects, which can result in miscarriage, neonatal death or lifelong disability. The York study suggests that the measure may also help in the fight against depression. (Science Daily)
Toward A Cure For Inherited Eye Diseases Jun 26, 2007
Cilia diseases can also affect multiple organ systems in such disorders as Bardet-Biedl Syndrome, which causes kidney disease, obesity, polydactyly, diabetes, and retinal degeneration; Senior-Loken Syndrome, which causes kidney disease and retinal degeneration; Joubert Syndrome, which causes neurological disease, kidney disease, and retinal degeneration; Usher Syndrome, which causes deafness and blindness; and Meckel Syndrome, which causes kidney disease and neural tube defects. Lead author Qin... (Science Daily)
Hearing on Lejeune water revives fears Jun 18, 2007
That study will determine if babies that were up to 1 year old when exposed to TCE and PCE in Camp Lejeune's water have had increased health problems, such as neural tube defects, oral cleft defects and childhood leukemias and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Green said the study was aimed at those considered most at risk. (News & Observer)
UK's FSA backs folic acid in flour, curbs on food Jun 15, 2007
It believes babies born to women who take folic acid ahead of pregnancy will be less prone to neural tube defects (NTDs) such as spina bifida. Between 700 and 900 pregnancies are affected by NTDs in the UK every year, and the agency says up to 160 cases a year could be prevented. (Scientific American)
Marine Families Want $4B for Toxic Water Jun 13, 2007
Studies link them to cancers and to kidney, liver and immune disorders, as well as childhood leukemia and neural tube defects. Two earlier government health reports on Camp Lejeune underestimated how many base houses the contamination may have reached, documents show. (Fox News)
Disability and Development: Why should we prevent who we love? Jun 12, 2007
Spina bifida is one of a group of birth defects known as Neural Tube Defects and it is estimated that, all over the world, it affects 1 to 2 of every 1,000 births. In addition to a gap in the skin covering the spine, the vertebrae and the nervous system are damaged, leading to some degree of paralysis. (AlertNet)
Health Officials Hope a Study Will Reveal The Cause. Jun 12, 2007
Studies link them to cancers and to kidney, liver and immune disorders, as well as childhood leukemia and neural tube defects. TOM UHLMAN/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS The Byron family, from left to right, mother Mary, son Justin, 20, father Jeff, holding his grandson, A.J., 2, Rachel's son, daughters Rachel, 22, and Andrea, 24, in Mary and Jeff's Hamilton, Ohio, home. (The Ledger)
Add folic acid to flour - watchdog Jun 11, 2007
Women who plan to get pregnant are already advised to increase their folate intake because it prevents neural tube defects (NTDs) such as spina bifida in unborn babies. But this strategy is not effective because about half of pregnancies are unplanned. (Channel 4 News)
Taking folic acid does not reduce risk of precancerous colon tumors Jun 9, 2007
Previous research has shown that taking folic acid supplements significantly reduce the incidence of neural tube defects, such as spina bifida, in newborns. For this reason, the Food and Drug Administration required the addition of folic acid to many grain-based foods starting in 1998. (EurekAlert!)
Folic Acid Study Yields Unexpected Result Jun 7, 2007
"These are two issues. Women who might become pregnant need to have folic acid in their diets and a supplement about 400 micrograms per day. The reason for that is study after study after study shows that it reduces the risk of preventing neural tube defects like Spina Bifida," Senay says. "So women in that age group must continue to take the folic acid. However, people over 60 need now to think carefully about how much folic acid they're getting in their diet and talk to their doctors, looking... (CBS News)
How folic acid could save thousands from a stroke Jun 4, 2007
Adding folic acid to food might cut the number of strokes, according to an analysis published today. In the US and Canada, where folic acid fortification of flour began almost ten years ago, there has been a sharp decline in strokes. (Times Online)
Folic acid may reduce risk of stroke, but safety unproven Jun 2, 2007
4 mg of folic acid daily to reduce the risk of neural tube defects, in which the central nervous system of achild fails to develop fully. Related. (CBC News)
Folic acid supplements 'cut stroke risk' Jun 1, 2007
Health protection officials in England are poised to recommend the fortification of flour or bread products with folic acid to reduce births of babies with neural tube defects such as spina bifida. The research suggests that countries which have fortified flour or bread have seen drops in the levels of fatal strokes, which the UK has not yet experienced. (Guardian Unlimited)
U.S. women, especially minorities, short on folate May 26, 2007
The move was based on research showing that adequate folate intake early in pregnancy helps prevent neural tube defects -- birth defects of the brain and spine. Because neural tube defects develop in the early weeks of pregnancy, before many women even know they're pregnant, it's recommended that all women of childbearing age get 400 micrograms of folate or folic acid every day. (Scientific American)
Go easy on the vitamins May 22, 2007
Known to prevent neural tube defects such as spina bifida. Vitamin D Made by the body when it is exposed to sunlight, but now many of us keep out of the sun and it may therefore be deficient. (Guardian Unlimited)
Birth defects on rise as checkups slide May 21, 2007
Cleft palettes, neural tube defects, abnormal numbers of fingers or toes, congenital heart disease and water on the brain are the top five birth defects among Chinese babies. In an effort to prevent rising congenital diseases, many local governments have started to offer free premarital check-ups, but the response has been slow. (People's Daily Online, China)
Watchdog backs plan to add folic acid to flour May 21, 2007
Between 700 and 900 babies develop Neural Tube Defects, mainly spina bifida, in the womb. Around two-thirds of these lead to abortions after the condition is discovered during hospital scans. (Daily Mail)
A vitamin B12 a day may keep birth defects away May 19, 2007
The findings, published in the journal Epidemiology, revealed that women with the lowest levels of vitamin B12 had three times the risk of delivering babies with neural tube defects such as spina bifida, in which the spine is severely deformed ... Since that policy took effect in 1998, the rate of neural tube defects has fallen by almost 50 per cent and now stands at one in every 1,000 pregnancies. (Globe and Mail)
Backing for folic acid in bread May 18, 2007
Research shows folic acid cuts the risk of neural tube defects, which affect hundreds of pregnancies a year. But there is concern that adding the vitamin to bread could harm some elderly patients, as it could mask a deficiency in B12 vitamin. (BBC News -- Health)
Checks urged on 'health-boosting' foods May 18, 2007
" Folic acid should be routinely added to bread to reduce birth defects such as spina bifida, experts said yesterday. A meeting of the Food Standards Agency unanimously backed fortifying bread with folic acid. The recommendation will now go before ministers for approval and for decisions to be made on which products to use. Research has shown that folic acid cuts the risk of neural tube defects, which affect hundreds of pregnancies a year. EXPERTS BACK MOVE TO PUT FOLIC ACID IN BREAD FOLIC... (Scotsman)
Food watchdog proposes folic acid additives May 18, 2007
Folic acid supplements are known to radically reduce neural tube defects, including spina bifida, which can cause profound disabilities. But they need to be taken for three months before conception to have an optimum effect and relatively few women plan their pregnancies in advance. (Guardian Unlimited -- Life)
Scientists back move to put folic acid in bread May 14, 2007
It is important for the development of the spine in the first stages of pregnancy, and women are advised to take 400 micrograms a day or risk the development of neural tube defects in their babies such as spina bifida or anencephaly, where part of the skull or brain is missing. But research shows that just half of all women follow that advice. (Telegraph.co.uk)
UK experts back folic acid in flour May 13, 2007
Scientific research shows that folic acid significantly cuts the risk of neural tube defects, which affect up to 900 pregnancies a year in the UK. ... Each year between 500 and 600 babies in the UK are reported to have neural tube defects. (BBC News -- Health)
Race Plays Role in Women's Folic Acid Intake May 11, 2007
Those of childbearing age risk neural tube defects in babies without it, study says ... THURSDAY, May 10 (HealthDay News) -- There are racial and ethnic differences among U.S. women of childbearing age in the intake of folic acid, which can prevent serious neural tube defects that affect the brain and spinal cord ... These findings may help explain why non-Hispanic black women have a higher risk of having babies with neural tube defects, the study authors said. (Health-Finder)
Study: Conceiving in Summer Lowers Baby's Future Test Scores May 9, 2007
According to the American Pregnancy Association, even household gardening pesticides are well-known to put pregnant women at high risk for many birth defects, including oral clefts, neural tube defects, heart defects, and limb defects. While domestic pesticides are the fastest growing segment of the pesticide industry, a correlation exists between all pesticide exposure and birth defects. (FOX News)
Public backs compulsory folic acid in British bread May 6, 2007
Many women who become pregnant also do not take nearly enough, helping produce a situation in which an estimated 700-900 pregnancies a year involve babies with neural tube defects (NTD). Those are spina bifida, which causes paralysis; hydrocephalus, which leads to learning difficulties and sight problems; and anencephaly, which causes a miscarriage or the baby's death soon after birth because its brain has failed to develop. (Guardian Unlimited -- UK)
Hundreds walk for infant health Apr 29, 2007
omen who take 400 micrograms of folic acid before and during the first few weeks of pregnancy can reduce the incidence of neural tube defects by 50-70 percent, said Rana, after describing the condition in which a baby's brain and spinal cord do not develop properly. glass of orange juice contains about 100 micrograms of folic acid. (DeKalb Daily Chronicle, IL)
Gene May Affect Neural Tube Defects Apr 6, 2007
Mutations In VANGL1 Gene May Make Neural Tube Defects Like Spina Bifida More Likely ... (WebMD) Scientists have spotted three gene mutations that may make neural tube defects such as spina bifida more likely ... The VANGLI gene is a potential risk factor in human neural tube defects, note the researchers, who included Zoha Kibar, PhD, of the biochemistry department at Montreal's McGill University. (CBS News)
Scientists Spot Mutation Linked to Birth Defects Apr 5, 2007
It's the first genetic link to neural tube defects such as spina bifida ... "We have identified the mutations in a few patients with neural tube defects," said Philippe Gros, professor of biochemistry at McGill University in Montreal ... Now, reporting in the April 5 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, they say they have found three VANGL1 mutations linked to neural tube defects in children treated at birth defect centers in Italy and France. (Health-Finder)
A Safe Folic Acid Boost From Flour Mar 25, 2007
The research has implications for the UK and Republic of Ireland, which plan to follow the US by adding folic acid to flour to help prevent neural tube defects in the near future ... Neural tube defects include spina bifida and anencephaly, which is fatal ... Sufficient folic acid before and during pregnancy averts most neural tube defects. (Science Daily)
Get To The Root Of Better Health Mar 17, 2007
Reasons - a rich source of folic acid / folates (particularly when eaten raw) which protects against neural tube defects in a developing baby. Also contains iron. (Suite101.com)
