FOLIC ACID SUPPLEMENTS FOR ALL WOMEN

issued by The HFMA 24/09/2009

 In response to statistics released earlier this month by the Scottish Spina Bifida Association, which revealed that double the normal number of children had been born with the condition in Scotland since the beginning of the year, experts are urging all women between the ages of 16 and 45 to take a folic acid supplement, regardless of whether they are planning to have a baby. With this in mind, I wanted to contact you with further details about the story, should you be planning to cover it.

 BBC News, Daily Express and the Daily Telegraph were among those that ran the story, which suggested that up to 75% of spina bifida cases could be prevented by the mother taking folic acid three months before conception and during pregnancy. Dr Margo Whiteford, consultant geneticist and chair of the Scottish Spina Bifida Association, was reported as saying: “This year we’ve had as many contacts from families in the first half of the year as we’d expect to see for the full year. We do know that most women don’t take enough folic acid at the right time. The spinal cord develops within the first four weeks of pregnancy so by that stage it’s too late – if the baby’s going to have spina bifida it will already have developed it.”  Neural tube defects – including spina bifida – are caused when various parts of the neural tube fail to close*, and with complete fusion of the neural tube taking place between days 18 and 26** this first four weeks is critical. A systematic review of four trials involving 6425 women found that the chance of having a baby with a neural tube defect is reduced by about 75% if women take the supplements prior to conception and for the first two months of pregnancy***.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) currently recommends pregnant women take a daily 400 micrograms folic acid supplement until the 12th week of pregnancy – on top of an already assumed 200mcg from a good diet – but this latest news has led some experts to recommend that all women of child-bearing age – that’s 16-45 – would benefit from taking folic acid supplements. Supplementing the diet with folic acid has also been shown to decrease the rate of preterm labour****and protect against congenital heart defects, cleft palate, limb defects and urinary tract anomalies***. Not just needed during pregnancy, folic acid is also vital to the proper functioning of the body, helping maintain healthy blood circulation and enabling nerves to function normally*****. Graham Keen, Executive Director of The Health Food Manufacturers’ Association (HFMA), commented: “Supplementation can play an important role in maintaining and delivering positive health benefits for many people. The importance of taking folic acid prior to, and throughout pregnancy is well researched and as the body does not store very much of the vitamin one needs a regular fresh supply – which some women may find difficult to achieve. Considering that one would need to consume an extra five servings of broccoli (approx. 75mcg per serving******) per day to deliver the equivalent extra 400mcg of folic acid – as recommended by the FSA – it is no surprise that experts are keen to ensure women are following this advice. Graham continues, “For those women who are not getting the adequate amounts of folate (the naturally occurring form of the vitamin found in food) from their diet alone – which is not always easy – supplements represent a real opportunity to safeguard their baby’s future health and wellbeing.”