Folic acid awareness and supplementation among Texas women of childbearing age

OBJECTIVE: Neural tube defects (NTDs) affect about seven of every 10,000 deliveries in Texas. To reduce the risk for NTDs, women are encouraged to supplement with 400 mcg folic acid daily during their reproductive years. This study examines folic acid awareness, knowledge, and supplementation practices among women of childbearing age (WCBA), including residents of Texas-Mexico border as well as women of Hispanic origin/ethnicity, populations that have NTD rates up to three times higher than the national average. METHODS: We conducted a statewide multistage sample telephone survey among Texas women of childbearing age in 2001. In total 1,196 women age 18 to 44 were interviewed. RESULTS: About 78% of WCBA knew about folic acid, 28% knew that folic acid prevents birth defects, and 25% knew to take folic acid before pregnancy. The prevalence of daily folic acid supplementation among all women of childbearing age was 33%. Education was the strongest predictor of folic acid awareness followed by race/ethnicity and age. Significant predictors of daily folic acid supplementation were education and ethnicity. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest the need for more emphases on strategies to improve the level of folic acid supplementation among low educated women, and race ethnic minority populations.     

Folic acid and neural tube defect: can't we come to closure?

In a series of nonrandomized and randomized intervention trials and case-control and cohort studies, women using multivitamins or folic acid supplements during the first 6 weeks of pregnancy experienced a three- to fourfold reduction in neural tube defects among their offspring. Viewed collectively, these data provide strong evidence that an important subset of US women do not receive sufficient folic acid to minimize their risk of a defective pregnancy. Further, the amounts of folic acid contained in multivitamins (usually 200-400 micrograms per day) appear adequate to greatly reduce, and probably eliminate, the excess risk.     

Folic acid and the prevention of neural tube defects: A survey of awareness among Latina women of childbearing age residing in southeast Michigan

Periconceptional intake of folic acid is known to reduce the risk for neural tube defects (NTDs). To inform southeast Michigan Latina women of childbearing age about the benefits of food and supplemental sources of the micronutrient in the prevention of NTDs, Spanish-English bilingual health educators carried out 20 education events in supermarkets and community organizations serving Latina women. One hundred and sixty Latina women ages 19 to 50 years indicated their current folic acid awareness and stated their future intentions regarding folic acid. Of 160 women surveyed, 114 (71%) had heard of folic acid, 84 (74%) knew that folic acid prevents birth defects, 63 (55%) knew the critical time to take folic acid, and 76 (67%) identified at least one source of folic acid. After participating in the education events, 136 women (85%) reported planning to eat more folate and/or folic acid-rich foods. Although general folic acid awareness is fairly high, health promotion efforts must be coordinated at community locations serving Latina women to share folic acid's specific protective effects in the prevention of NTDs, the critical timing of intake, and its food and supplement sources.     

Folate absorption in women with a history of neural tube defect-affected pregnancy

BACKGROUND: The risk of neural tube defects (NTDs) is significantly reduced by supplemental folic acid. NTD risk may be associated with impaired absorption of polyglutamyl folate, the primary form of naturally occurring food folate, and of folic acid in supplements or fortified food. Stable-isotope methods provide the specificity needed to test this hypothesis. OBJECTIVE: We determined whether women who had an NTD-affected pregnancy had a reduced ability compared with control women to absorb polyglutamyl folate relative to folic acid. DESIGN: Healthy, nonpregnant women with a history of an NTD-affected pregnancy (cases; n = 11) and control women (n = 11) were administered an oral dose containing a mixture of [(2)H]pteroylpentaglutamate ([(2)H(2)]PteGlu(5); 233 nmol) and [(13)C]pteroylmonoglutamate ([(13)C(5)]PteGlu(1); 567 nmol) after a 30-d saturation protocol (2 mg unlabeled folic acid/d). Relative extents of absorption were evaluated by urinary excretion of (2)H(2)- and (13)C(5)-labeled folates 48 h postdose. RESULTS: During the first 24 h postdose, cases excreted less (f1.gif" BORDER="0"> +/- SD) [(2)H(2)]PteGlu(5) (21 +/- 12% compared with 37 +/- 19%; P = 0.01) and [(13)C(5)]PteGlu(1) (17 +/- 8% compared with 31 +/- 14%; P = 0.007) than did controls. No significant differences between cases and controls were detected in the percentage of [(2)H(2)]PteGlu(5) or [(13)C(5)]PteGlu(1) excreted during the second 24 h postdose or when the data were averaged over 48 h. However, excretion of the [(2)H(2)]folates tended to be lower in cases than in controls over the 48-h period (33 +/- 13% compared with 45 +/- 26%; P = 0.21). A similar trend (P = 0.29) for lower excretion of [(13)C(5)]folates in cases was also observed (31 +/- 16% compared with 39 +/- 17%). The ratio of urinary [(2)H(2)]folates to [(13)C(5)]folates did not differ significantly between cases and controls. CONCLUSION: These data suggest the need for a larger-scale study using stable-isotope methods to further investigate this hypothesis.     

我国神经管畸形高发区妇女孕早期血液叶酸严重缺乏

20世纪90年代初已发现，妇女孕前及孕早期增补叶酸可以降低胎儿神经管畸形的危险性。我国也在育龄妇女中推广叶酸增补剂，但某些地区的神经管畸形出生患病率并没有明显下降，原因尚不清楚。     

Folic acid supplementation of pregnant mice suppresses heat-induced neural tube defects in the offspring.

Neural tube defects (NTD) are a group of malformations that result from the failure of the neural tube to close early in embryonic development and among the most common congenital malformations in humans. It has been reported that a substantial proportion of NTD in humans can be prevented by folic acid (FA) supplementation prior to conception and during the first months of pregnancy, and myo-inositol (MI) was shown to reduce the incidence of NTD in curly tail mice which are not prevented by FA. Brief maternal hyperthermia (HT) early in pregnancy has been implicated in NTD both in humans and laboratory animals, and anterior NTD including exencephaly and anencephaly are induced frequently when pregnant mice are exposed to HT. We examined the effect of FA or MI supplementation of pregnant mice on the occurrence of heat-induced NTD in the offspring. When pregnant mice were treated with FA (3 mg/kg) daily from gestational day (GD) 0.5 through GD 9.5 and heated at GD 8.5, the prevalence of NTD in the fetuses (26.6%) was significantly lower than the corresponding figure in the HT alone group (38.6%; P < 0.05). However we failed to detect the preventive effect of MI (500 mg/kg). The results of this study suggest that prenatal FA supplementation decreases HT-induced NTD in mice and sufficient FA intake during early pregnancy may be recommended to avoid the birth of malformed children.     

郑州市10年神经管缺损发生率的变化趋势

目的 描述1996-2005年郑州市围产儿神经管缺损(neural tube defects,NTDs)的流行病学特征及动态变化趋势.方法 采用医院监测的方法进行数据收集,调查孕满28周至产后7 d住院分娩的围产儿中NTDs的发生情况,分别按年份、围产儿性别、产妇户口所在地(城/乡)、产妇年龄计算其发生率.共监测围产儿162 074名,全市同期出生围产儿496 203名,监测比例为32.66%.结果 NTDs 238例,总发生率为14.68/万,年度发生率呈下降趋势.NTDs的发生率乡村为29.28/万,城镇为9.63/万;女性为17.74/万,男性为11.42/万;产妇年龄别发生率的差异有统计学意义(χ2=22.952,P=0.000),＜20岁和≥35岁组高于其他年龄组,其发生率分别为53.76/万和21.74/万.结论 郑州市NTDs发生率乡村高于城镇、女性高于男性.10年间年度发生率呈下降趋势.     

Surveillance of influenza in Apulia, Italy, 1999-2000, 2000-2001, 2001-2002, and 2002-2003 seasons

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to evaluate, within the Italian National Influenza Epidemiological and Virological Surveillance, the rate of vaccination coverage, the incidence of Influenza Like-Illness (ILI), the incidence of Acute Respiratory Illness (ARI), and to identify the virus strains circulating in Apulia from 1999 to 2003. METHODS: Vaccination coverage rates were calculated based on the number of doses administered to individuals > 65 years of age. Every week, sentinel physicians reported ILI and ARI cases having occurred among their patients. Voluntary general practitioners (GPs) and paediatricians (Ps) collected oropharyngeal swab samples from patients suspected with ILI. Influenza viruses were isolated and identified by cell culture (MDCK cells) and RT-PCR. Virological surveillance was carried out by the ISS, in collaboration with a network of peripheral laboratories. RESULTS: In Apulia, vaccination coverage progressively increased to 68.6% during the 2002-2003 season. The analysis of ILI cases showed higher incidence rates during the 1999-2000 and 2002-2003 seasons. ARI rates appeared to have a more constant trend. ILI and ARI incidence rates were higher in the 0-14 year age group. CONCLUSION: The increase in vaccination coverage rates and implementation of the network of clinical, and epidemiological and virological surveillance are fundamental for the control and prevention of influenza.     

神经管缺陷的发病机制及其预防

神经管缺损属多基因疾病,该病的发生主要是遗传因素和环境因素相互作用的结果.目前认为叶酸代谢异常(包括与叶酸受体以及叶酸代谢有关的酶代谢缺陷或基因突变)是该病发生的主要机理,然而,神经管缺损的类型及其严重程度与发生缺陷的神经嵴细胞起源和开始发生缺陷时胚胎所在的阶段也有密切的关系.该文针对神经管缺损的病因研究现状及其预防措施作以综述.