Effects of folic acid supplementation during different pregnancy periods and relationship with the other primary prevention measures to neural tube defects.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To find out the prevention effects of folic acid supplements during different pregnancy periods on neural tube defects (NTDs) and the relationship of folic acid supplements with the other NTDs' primary preventive measures.

METHODS:

A 1:1 case-control study was conducted. Four hundred and fifty-nine women who delivered or gestate infants/fetuses with NTDs in the last two years were randomly selected as cases and were matched with women who delivered babies without obvious birth defects as controls.

RESULTS:

For anencephaly, folic acid supplementation during the periconceptional period and preconceptional period has a 57-83% reduction in risk of NTDs(ORs ranged from 0.17 to 0.43). For spina bifida, folic acid supplementation during the periconceptional period has a 79% reduction in risk of NTDs (OR = 0.21). For encephalocele, folic acid supplementation during the periconceptional period has a 67% reduction in risk of NTDs (OR = 0.33). The prevention effects on NTDs were significant when these preventive measures combined with folic acid supplements during the periconceptional period, with OR 0.04, 0.07, 0.10 and 0.11.

CONCLUSION:

The specific effects of folic acid supplementation during different periods show the reduction in the risk of NTDs, anencephaly, spina bifida, encephalocele. During periconceptional period, folic acid supplements have preventive effects on all NTDs' subtypes.

• Authors: Rui Gong, Zhi-Ping Wang, Meng Wang, Li-Jie Gao, Zhong-Tang Zhao
• Journal: The journal of maternal-fetal & neonatal medicine : the official journal of the European Association of Perinatal Medicine, the Federation of Asia and Oceania Perinatal Societies, the International Society of Perinatal Obstetricians (J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med) Vol. 29 Issue 23 Pg. 3894-901 (Dec 2016) ISSN: 1476-4954 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 27023398 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Vitamin B Complex
• Folic Acid

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Case-Control Studies
• Dietary Supplements
• Female
• Folic Acid (therapeutic use)
• Humans
• Middle Aged
• Neural Tube Defects (prevention & control)
• Pregnancy
• Primary Prevention (methods)
• Regression Analysis
• Surveys and Questionnaires
• Vitamin B Complex (therapeutic use)
• Young Adult