OBJECTIVE: In 1999, a folic acid campaign for prevention of neural tube defects was started in Nuevo León, México, with the recommendation of taking a 5000 -mcg tablet of folic acid per week. The purpose of this study was to compare the epidemiology of neural tube defects after four years of the campaign. METHODS: Cases of anencephaly, spina bifida, and encephalocele (ICD Q00, Q01, Q05, 10th Ed.) from public and private hospitals were registered by immediate notification, death certificates, and fetal death registries. Comparisons of neural tube defects rates, phenotype distribution of cases, and sex ratios, registered before and after the folic acid campaign, were done using the Student's t Test and Chi square test. RESULTS: There was a 50% reduction in the incidence of anencephaly and spina bifida cases from 93 in 1999 (1.04x1000) to 46 in the year 2003 (0.56x1000) (p<0.001). Spina bifida cases declined up to 70% in 2002 and anencephaly cases up to 50% in 2003. In 1999, overall, the ratio (females: males) was 0.66 with female excess; the sex ratio was similar for anencephaly and spina bifida cases. In the year 2000, female cases showed a significant reduction for both spina bifida and anencephaly (75% and 56% respectively); the sex ratio was 0.57 with a greater male excess for both phenotypes. CONCLUSIONS: Weekly administration of 5000 mcg of folic acid reduces the incidence of neural tube defects 50%, primarily spina bifida, with a higher reduction of female cases.
OBJECTIVE: In 1999, a folic acid campaign for prevention of neural tube defects was started in Nuevo León, México, with the recommendation of taking a 5000 -mcg tablet of folic acid per week. The purpose of this study was to compare the epidemiology of neural tube defects after four years of the campaign. METHODS: Cases of anencephaly, spina bifida, and encephalocele (ICD Q00, Q01, Q05, 10th Ed.) from public and private hospitals were registered by immediate notification, death certificates, and fetal death registries. Comparisons of neural tube defects rates, phenotype distribution of cases, and sex ratios, registered before and after the folic acid campaign, were done using the Student's t Test and Chi square test. RESULTS: There was a 50% reduction in the incidence of anencephaly and spina bifida cases from 93 in 1999 (1.04x1000) to 46 in the year 2003 (0.56x1000) (p<0.001). Spina bifida cases declined up to 70% in 2002 and anencephaly cases up to 50% in 2003. In 1999, overall, the ratio (females: males) was 0.66 with female excess; the sex ratio was similar for anencephaly and spina bifida cases. In the year 2000, female cases showed a significant reduction for both spina bifida and anencephaly (75% and 56% respectively); the sex ratio was 0.57 with a greater male excess for both phenotypes. CONCLUSIONS: Weekly administration of 5000 mcg of folic acid reduces the incidence of neural tube defects 50%, primarily spina bifida, with a higher reduction of female cases.
Authors: L E Martínez de Villarreal; I Delgado-Enciso; R Valdéz-Leal; R Ortíz-López; A Rojas-Martínez; C Limón-Benavides; M A Sánchez-Peña; J Ancer-Rodríguez; H A Barrera-Saldaña; J Z Villarreal-Pérez Journal: Arch Med Res Date: 2001 Jul-Aug Impact factor: 2.235
Authors: R J Berry; Z Li; J D Erickson; S Li; C A Moore; H Wang; J Mulinare; P Zhao; L Y Wong; J Gindler; S X Hong; A Correa Journal: N Engl J Med Date: 1999-11-11 Impact factor: 91.245
Authors: Laura Martínez de Villarreal; Jesús Z Villarreal Pérez; Patricia Arredondo Vázquez; Ricardo Hernández Herrera; Ma Del Roble Velazco Campos; Roberto Ambriz López; José Luis Herrera Ramírez; Jesús Manuel Yañez Sánchez; Juan José Morales Villarreal; Manuel Treviño Garza; Adriana Limón; Abel Guzmán López; Mario Bárcenas; Juan Ramón Cepeda García; Andrés Sánchez Domínguez; Rogelio Hernández Nuñez; Jorge Luis García Ayala; Jorge Garza Martínez; Mario Tijerina González; Carlos García Alvarez; Roberto Negrete Castro Journal: Teratology Date: 2002-11
Authors: Callie A M Atta; Kirsten M Fiest; Alexandra D Frolkis; Nathalie Jette; Tamara Pringsheim; Christine St Germaine-Smith; Thilinie Rajapakse; Gilaad G Kaplan; Amy Metcalfe Journal: Am J Public Health Date: 2015-11-12 Impact factor: 9.308