A nationwide campaign to emphasise the importance of folic acid to prevent birth abnormalities was launched by the Minister for Health, Mr Cowen, yesterday. New research says a folic acid supplement, if taken before conception and during early pregnancy, can reduce the incidence of neural tube defects, including spina bifida, by up to 70 per cent.
In a departure from other studies, the findings, by the Department of Health and the Food Safety Advisory Board, indicated that sufficient intake was difficult to achieve from simply eating foods which contain folic acid.
"This new campaign seeks to raise awareness among all women of the importance of taking folic acid prior to conception. If a woman suspects she is pregnant she should immediately begin taking a folic acid supplement," Mr Cowen said. "Ireland has one of the highest incidence rates of NTDs in Europe. Our goal is to reduce that rate significantly." The number of cases of neural tube defects in Ireland is double the European average. Each month about seven Irish babies are born with such a defect. Of these, 50 per cent will die at birth and most of the survivors will be disabled for life.
Neural tube defects are congenital malformations of the spine which occur very early in pregnancy when a baby's spine is being formed. They can result in severe disability and in some cases, the brain does not develop or is extremely damaged, Mr Cowen said. As about half of pregnancies in Ireland are unplanned, and most remain undetected for up to six weeks, it is recommended that all women of child-bearing age take a folic acid supplement.
A supplement of 400 micrograms should be taken 14 weeks before and during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Prof John Scott, professor of experimental nutrition at Trinity College Dublin, said it was imperative that this daily supplement of 400 micrograms was taken. "I would urge all women with even a remote chance of becoming pregnant to start taking a folic acid supplement."