MORE INFORMATION

Mailing Lists, News Groups and Web Sites

Inclusion on this list is not an endorsement. Sites are not reviewed for the accuracy of the information they provide. Any information you find should be reviewed with your health care provider for accuracy.

• Anencephaly Support Foundation at http://www.asfhelp.com is dedicated to serving parents, families and the educational and medical communities. They provide information, personal stories, and medical articles regarding anencephaly, support and encouragement to parents who have chosen to carry an anencephalic pregnancy to term, and information regarding possible causes, prevention theories, and support group referrals.

• Association of Birth Defect Children, Inc. at http://www.birthdefects.org is a charitable organization started by parents in 1982. ABDC provides free phone information to parents and professionals about all kinds of birth defects, resources, support groups and environmental exposures that may cause birth defects.

• BIFIDA-L is an electronic mailing list is for anyone interested in spina bifida. To subscribe send an e-mail message to: listserv@mercury.dsu.edu. In the body of the message type: BIFIDA-L Your First Name Your Last Name.

• Birth Defects Prevention Legislation Committee at http://www.birthdefectsprevention.org writes about what is happening and what you can do in the area of birth defects and spina bifida at a policy level.

• SB-Parents is an electronic mailing list and a discussion forum for people interested in the care of children who have spina bifida. To subscribe, send an e-mail message to: listserv@waisman.wisc.edu. In the body of the message type: Subscribe SB-Parents Your First Name Your Last Name

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References on Folic Acid and NTDs

1. There have been both randomized control trials and observational studies showing that folic acid can prevent neural tube defects.

    

   United Kingdom Medical Research Council Study, 1991

   This randomized trial of women who previously had NTD-affected pregnancies showed that usual diet plus periconceptional supplementation with 4 mg folic acid per day decreased the risk of having a subsequent NTD-affected pregnancy. (MRC Vitamin Study Research Group. Prevention of neural tube defects: results of the Medical Research Council Vitamin Study. The Lancet 1991; 338:131-7.)

   Hungarian Study, 1992
   

   This randomized trial of women who had not previously had NTD-affected pregnancies showed that usual diet plus daily periconceptional supplementation with a multivitamin containing 0.8 mg folic acid decreased the risk of having an NTD-affected pregnancy. (Czeizel AE, Dudas I. Prevention of the first occurrence of neural-tube defects by periconceptional vitamin supplementation. The New England Journal of Medicine 1992; 327:1832-5.)

   Observational Studies, 1983-1995

   Five out of six of these studies corroborated the results of the randomized clinical trials with folic acid-containing multivitamins and further suggested that usual diet plus 0.4 mg (400 mcg) of folic acid per day could prevent about 50% of neural tube defects. (Smithells RW, Nevin NC, Seller MJ, et al. Further experience of vitamin supplemntation for the prevention of neural tube defect recurrences. Lancet 1983; 1:1027-31. Mulinare J, Cordero JF, Erickson JD, et al. Periconceptional use of multivitamins and the occurence of neural tube defects. JAMA 1988; 260: 3141-5. Mills J, Rhoads GG, Simpson JL, et al. The absence of a relation between the periconceptional use of vitamins and nueral tube defects. N Engl J Med 1989; 321: 430-5. Milunsky A, Jick H, Jick SS, et al.

   Multivitamin/folic acid supplementation in early pregnancy reduces the prevalence of neural tube defects. JAMA 1989; 262: 2847-52. Daly, L, Kirke P, Molloy A, et al. Folate levels and neural tube defects: implications for prevention. JAMA 1995; (27)21:1698-1702. Shaw GM, Schaffer D, Velie EM, et al. Periconceptional vitamin use, dietary folate, and the occurrence of neural tube defects in California. Epidemiolgy 1995; 6:219-226.)

2. There have also been recommendations for childbearing age women on the use of folic acid to prevent NTDs.

   Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Recommendations for the use of folic acid to reduce the number of cases of spina bifida and other neural tube defects. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report: Recommendations and Reports 1992; 41(RR-14): 1-7.
   

   Institute of Medicine(IOM). Dietary reference intakes: folate, other B vitamins, and choline: prepublication copy. In: Dietary reference intakes for thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin B12, pantothenic acid, biotin, and choline. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1998. To order: write the National Academy Press, 2101 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Box 285, Washington, DC 20055; call (800) 624-6442 or visit NAP's on-line bookstore at http://www.nap.edu.

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Other Contacts and References

March of Dimes
http://www.modimes.org/Programs/467.htm
http://www.nacersano.org/acido.htm (Información en español)

Centers for Disease Control
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/folicacid/default.htm
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/folico/default.htm (Información en español)

Spina Bifida Association of America
http://www.sbaa.org/html/sbaa_folic.html

US Food and Drug Administration Fact Sheet
http://www.babybag.com/articles/wh-folic.htm

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Further Sources

Doheny K. More on folic acid: why you need this crucial vitamin now. Fit Pregnancy 1998; (5):46-7.

Pampalone L. Supplements made simple. Prevention, February 1997; 115-168.

SerVaas C. Two good reasons to celebrate folate's 50th anniversary. The Saturday Evening Post, May/June 1995.

Riccitiello R; Adler J. "Your baby has a problem." Newsweek Special Issue: Your Child's Health 1997; 46-50.

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Local Contacts

To see if you qualify for a years supply of FREE multi-vitamins...
Danielle Caldwell at the Coconino County Department of Health Services
928 522 7157
dcaldwell@co.coconino.az.us

Onie Greiling, MPH Student
NAU Folic Acid Program Coordinator
akg9@dana.ucc.nau.edu
928 525 1578

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