November 16, 1999 – A supplement of 0.4 mg of folic acid (vitamin B9) per day during the month before conception and during the first weeks of pregnancy can prevent 60 to 70% of neural tube closure abnormalities ( AFTN), such as spina bifida, in babies.
According to Dr Philippe De Walls, of the Chaudière-Appalaches Public Health Department (Ministry of Health, Quebec), research indicates that folate supplementation can significantly reduce the incidence of AFTN problems. Therefore, all women wishing to become pregnant should obtain at least 0.4 mg of folic acid per day from their diet and other sources, at least during the critical period of onset of AFTN, which is before the sixth week of pregnancy. pregnancy.
According to the Genetics Committee of the American Academy of Pediatrics, women who have had a pregnancy affected by an AFTN problem should consume a daily dose of 4 mg of folic acid during the month before conception and the first trimester of pregnancy. the pregnancy. It appears that less than a third of American women receive the recommended daily dose of folic acid.
AFTNs, like spina bifida (overflow of the spinal cord out of the spine), are very serious birth defects and even, in the case of anencephaly (absence of a brain), incompatible with life. They therefore often lead to voluntary terminations of pregnancy or stillbirths and are one of the most common birth defects in Canada.
According to Dr De Walls, surveys of physicians have shown a general lack of awareness of the role of folic acid in preventing AFTN, although they are in the best position to counsel their patients about it.
HealthPassport.net
According to Medical News, November 10, 1999 and
Folic acid for the prevention of neural tube defects. American Academy of Pediatrics. Committee on Genetics, Pediatrics 1999 Aug; 104 (2 Pt 1): 325-7
