Folic acid in the prevention of birth defects

Current Opinion in Pediatrics

Volumn 8, Issue 6, 1996, Pages 630-634

  Allen, William P ^a  

^a GREENWOOD GENETIC CENTER   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

FOLIC ACID;

AMINO ACID METABOLISM; DIET SUPPLEMENTATION; HUMAN; NEURAL TUBE DEFECT; PREGNANCY; PRIORITY JOURNAL; REVIEW;

EID: 0030445809     PISSN: 10408703     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1097/00008480-199612000-00015     Document Type: Review

References (40)

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3. Mulinare J, Cordero JF, Erickson JD, Berry RJ: Periconceptional use of multivitamins and the occurrence of neural tube defects. JAMA 1988, 260:3141-3145.
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9. Mills JL, Conley MR: Periconceptional vitamin supplementation to prevent neural tube defects: how we can do it? Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 1995, 61:49-55. This well-written review outlines the risks and benefits of fortification of food with folic acid.
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13. Daly LE, Kirke PN, Molloy A, Weir DG, Scott JM: Folate levels and neural tube defects: implications for prevention. JAMA 1995, 274:1698-1702. Risk of NTDs is determined to be associated with early pregnancy erythrocyte folate levels in a continous dose-response relationship. Individual and population prevention strategies are considered.
14. Oakley GP, Erickson JD, Adams MJ: Urgent need to increase folic acid consumption. JAMA 1995, 274:1717-1718. An appeal for food fortification with folic acid, outlining the reasons fortification is necessary.
15. 12 deficiency. The authors indicate their belief that this concern is theoretical and not an indication for the hindrance of folic acid fortification.
16. Gaull GE, Testa CA, Thomas PR, Weinreich DA: Fortification of the food supply with folic acid to prevent neural tube defects is not yet warranted. J Nutr 1996, 126:7735-7805. The argument against fortification of food with folic acid is presented, asserting there is a lack of scientific evidence for both the efficacy and safety of fortification.
17. Czeizel AE: Congenital abnormalities are preventable. Epidemiology 1995, 6:205-207. The author of the first randomized, controlled double-blind study that indicated the effectiveness of folic acid preventing occurrent NTDs presents the case for the prevention of several birth defects by periconceptional supplementation of vitamins, including folic acid.
18. Mills JL, McPartlin JM, Kirke PN, Lee YJ, Conley MR, Weir DG, Scott JM: Homocyteine metabolism in pregnancies complicated by neural tube defects. Lancet 1995, 345:149-151. This study further adduces the association of altered homocysteine metabolism and NTDs.
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24. Mills JL, Scott JM, Kirke PN, McPartlin JM, Conley MR, Weir DG, Molloy AM, Lee YJ: Homocysteine and neural tube defects. J Nutr 1996, 126:7565-7605. Another well-written discussion by this group, presenting the evidence for abnormal homocysteine metabolism in NTDs.
25. Kang SS, Wong PWK, Kowalisyn J, Strokosch G: Intermediate homocysteinemia: a thermolabile variant of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase. Am J Hum Genet 1988, 43:414-421.
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34. Tolarora M, Harris J: Reduced recurrence after periconceptional supplementation with high dose folic acid and multivitamins. Teratology 1995, 51:71-78. A report of the final findings of a prospective study involving supplementation with a multivitamin preparation, including folic acid, given to women with a recurrent risk for children with cleft lip or palate. An overall 65.4% decrease was found in the vitamin supplement group.
35. Shaw GM, Lammer EJ, Wasserman CR, O'Malley CD, Tolarora MM: Risks of orofacial clefts in children born to women using multivitamins containing folic acid periconceptionally. Lancet 1995, 346:393-396. Using cases of cleft lip or palate derived from the California Birth Defects Monitoring Program, a 25% to 60% reduction in risk was found for women who used multivitamins containing folic acid periconceptionally as compared with women who did not use such vitamins.
36. Czeizel AE: Prevention of congenital abnormalities by periconceptional multivitamin supplementation. BMJ 1993, 306:1645-1648.
37. Shaw GM, O'Malley CD, Wasserman CR, Tolarova MM, Lammer EJ: Maternal periconceptional use of multivitamins and reduced risk for conotruncal heart defects and limb deficiencies among offspring. Am J Med Genet 1996, 59:536-545. Conotruncal heart defects and limb deficiencies were 30% to 35% less likely in women using multivitamins with folic acid in this population-based case-control study.
38. Frosst P, Blom HJ, Milos R, Goyette P, Sheppard CA, Mathews RG, Boers GJH, den Heijer M, Kluijtmans LAJ, van den Heuvel LP, Rozen R: A candidate genetic risk for vascular disease: a common mutation in methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase. Nat Genet 1995, 10:111-113.
39. Morrison HI, Schaubel D, Desmeules M, Wigle DT: Serum folate and risk of fatal coronary heart disease. JAMA 1996, 275:1893-1896.
40. Motulsky AG: Nutritional ecogenetics: homocysteine-related arteriosclerotic vascular disease, neural tube defects, and folic acid. Am J Hum Genet 1996, 58:17-20. An excellent examination of the role of folic acid in the prevention of arteriosclerotic vascular disease and NTDs.