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ATLANTA, Feb 17, 2005 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- An international study says recommended use of folic acid reportedly has had no detectable impact on the incidence of neural tube defects.
The results published Thursday on the British Medical Journal's Web site support a move toward food fortification in addition to recommending use of supplements.
Trials more than a decade ago showed folic acid could reduce the occurrence of neural tube defects, such as spina bifida, by half or more. Since then, many countries have tried to promote use of folic acid, either by fortifying foods or, more often, by recommending the use of supplements.
Although studies have shown fortification of flour is effective, the impact of recommendations alone is not known.
Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention examined data from over 13 million births in Europe and Israel from 1988 to 1998.
Recommendations alone did not seem to influence trends in neural tube defects, despite the proven effectiveness of folic acid.
Copyright 2005 by United Press International.
