Folate deficiency and folic acid supplementation: the prevention of neural-tube defects and congenital heart defects

Diet, particularly vitamin deficiency, is associated with the risk of birth defects. The aim of this review paper is to show the characteristics of common and severe neural-tube defects together with congenital heart defects (CHD) as vitamin deficiencies play a role in their origin. The findings of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nutrients 2013-11, Vol.5 (11), p.4760-4775
Main Authors: Czeizel, Andrew E, Dudás, Istvan, Vereczkey, Attila, Bánhidy, Ferenc
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
congenital heart defects
Diet
Dietary Supplements
Flour
folic acid
Folic Acid - blood
Folic Acid - therapeutic use
Folic Acid Deficiency - blood
Folic Acid Deficiency - complications
Folic Acid Deficiency - drug therapy
Food, Fortified
Heart Defects, Congenital - etiology
Heart Defects, Congenital - prevention & control
Humans
multivitamins
Neural Tube Defects - etiology
Neural Tube Defects - prevention & control
neural-tube defects
primary prevention
Review
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Summary:Diet, particularly vitamin deficiency, is associated with the risk of birth defects. The aim of this review paper is to show the characteristics of common and severe neural-tube defects together with congenital heart defects (CHD) as vitamin deficiencies play a role in their origin. The findings of the Hungarian intervention (randomized double-blind and cohort controlled) trials indicated that periconceptional folic acid (FA)-containing multivitamin supplementation prevented the major proportion (about 90%) of neural-tube defects (NTD) as well as a certain proportion (about 40%) of congenital heart defects. Finally the benefits and drawbacks of three main practical applications of folic acid/multivitamin treatment such as (i) dietary intake; (ii) periconceptional supplementation; and (iii) flour fortification are discussed. The conclusion arrived at is indeed confirmation of Benjamin Franklin's statement: "An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of care".
ISSN:2072-6643
2072-6643
DOI:10.3390/nu5114760