Maternal periconceptional factors affect the risk of spina bifida-affected pregnancies: an Italian case–control study

Abstract

Our findings point out that a common underlying mechanism, a disturbed folate/homocysteine metabolism, may be causative for the burden of spina bifida in the Italian population.

Risk Factors of Neural Tube Defects in Northern Iran

“…NTDs contribute to miscarriage, infant mortality, and serious disability (3). NTDs are caused by partial or complete failure of fusion in the cranial and spinal regions of the neural tube during early embryogenesis (4). NTDs are the second most common birth defects with incidence rate of 0.97 per 1000 child births in European contraries (4).…”

“…NTDs are caused by partial or complete failure of fusion in the cranial and spinal regions of the neural tube during early embryogenesis (4). NTDs are the second most common birth defects with incidence rate of 0.97 per 1000 child births in European contraries (4). Multifactorial disturbances in embryonic neurulation have been identified as causes of NTDs (5).…”

“…Multifactorial disturbances in embryonic neurulation have been identified as causes of NTDs (5). Incidence of different NTDs varies according to geographic conditions, race/ethnicity (5, 6), sex of the newborn (6, 7), as well as high caffeine intake, low calorie diet, alcohol consumption (4), lack of folate supplementation at any time of pregnancy (4, 6, 7), oral contraceptive usage, and passive smoking (8). In addition, other factors associated with one or both NTDs include maternal birthplace, parity, timing of prenatal care initiation, socio-economic status (9), as well as maternal age (7, 9), education, nutritional status, drug usage, presence of maternal chronic diseases, and acute infections during pregnancy (10).…”

The mortality rate after hospital discharge in patients with myelomeningocele decreased after implementation of mandatory flour fortification with folic acid

“…The lack of a protective lining exposes the neural tissue to gradual destruction due to the deleterious effects of amniotic fluid over the neural plate 3 . The prevalence of MMC varies according to the geographic, racial, and ethnic characteristics of the population being studied, and may differ greatly between different regions of the same continent or country 4,5 . In Brazil, the prevalence of Chiari II malformation (CMII) is estimated to range between 1.4 and 1.5 per 10,000 births 6,7 .…”

Folic and Folate Acid

“…The incidence rate of NTDs was reported to be 0.97 per 1000 births in some European countries [41]. The reported NTD prevalence ranges and medians for each region were: Africa (5.2-75.4; 11.7 per 10,000 births), Eastern Mediterranean (2.1-124.1; 21.9 per 10,000 births), Europe (1.3-35.9; 9.0 per 10,000 births), Americas (3.3-27.9; 11.5 per 10,000 births), South-East Asia (1.9-66.2; 15.8 per 10,000 births), and Western Pacific (0.3-199.4; 6.9 per 10,000 births) [42].…”