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Beginning January 1, 1998, makers of enriched grain products in
the United States were required to add folic acid to the foods they
produce. Folic acid has been shown to lower the incidence of neural
tube defects (NTDs) if taken by women before and during early
pregnancy. Some studies have suggested folic acid can also lower the
risk of cleft lip with or without cleft palate and cleft palate
alone.
CDC scientists evaluated the effect of folic acid fortification on
orofacial clefts (OFCs). Orofacial clefts include conditions such as
cleft lip and cleft palate.
- Researchers used U.S. birth certificate data from 45 states
and the District of Columbia to compare the prevalence of OFCs
among infants born before fortification (January 1990–December
1996) and those born after fortification (October 1998–December
2002). These dates were based on fortification status at
conception.
- Overall, the rate of occurrence of OFCs declined after folic
acid fortification, with some exceptions:
- Among non-Hispanic whites, but not among other racial
and ethnic groups.
- Among nonsmokers.
- Among women who had prenatal care during the first
trimester, but not among women whose care began later during
pregnancy.
- The drop in the rate of occurrence of OFCs was much smaller
than that for NTDs, but it suggests another potential benefit of
this public health intervention.
Yazdy MM, Honein MA, Xing J. Reduction in orofacial clefts
following folic acid fortification of the U.S. grain supply. Birth
Defects Res Part A Clin Mol Teratol. 2007;79:16–23.
Date:
January 14, 2008
Content source: National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental
Disabilities
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