Please view the Neevo link to find out more about the new prenatal vitamin for those who are considered high risk related to folic acid absorption and deficiencies.
Spina Bifida is so easily prevented- TAKE YOUR VITAMINS!
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
On the morning of March 4th, 2005, my daughter Emily made her grand entrance into the world. Her birth did not go un-noticed as a group of 16 doctors and nurses attended her delivery by cesarean section. This birth was used as a learning experience for many of those in the operating room that day because Emily was born with Spina Bifida, a type of neural tube defect or NTD.
This particular NTD affects the development of the brain and what will eventually be the spinal cord, during the first 8 weeks of pregnancy. Picture the developing neural tube as an open book: the cover being the protective layer around the nerves and the pages being the nerves themselves. As the neural tube or spine forms, it closes on itself much like you close a book. The cover completely surrounds the nerves and this becomes known as your spinal cord.
Emily’s began closing but stopped just above her hip bones, leaving the nerves controlling her lower extremities, bowels, and bladder exposed and vulnerable to damage. She had a surgery to close what was left of her open spinal cord just one day after her birth and at just two weeks old had a shunt put in her brain to relieve pressure from spinal fluid build up, called Hydrocephalus. Imagine finding out that this could have all been prevented with one tiny vitamin?
The development of her spine could have been completed correctly had my wife been taking Folic Acid during the first few weeks of pregnancy. Folic acid is a water-soluble, B-vitamin that is found in foods such as orange juice, fortified breads, leafy greens, and in most multi-vitamins. All that is recommended to prevent a neural tube defect is 400 micrograms of Folic Acid. This is a tiny amount that must be taken daily because it is absorbed by water and passed out of your body each day. Taking just 400 micrograms of Folic Acid has been found to reduce the incidence of Spina Bifida by 70 percent.
Thankfully, we were told of her diagnosis prior to her birth and we were given the opportunity to learn more about Spina Bifida and its inevitable effects on our daughter. We had the chance to learn more than we could have ever imagined about her before she was even born. Many parents do not get this chance. Now our hope is to educate others about Spina Bifida and how easily it can be prevented. Anyone can be affected by Spina Bifida. Whether you are a female of birthing age, married to one, or have a daughter you should be informed on the importance of Folic Acid and how something like this can be prevented in your life. That alone would be Emily’s purpose.
This particular NTD affects the development of the brain and what will eventually be the spinal cord, during the first 8 weeks of pregnancy. Picture the developing neural tube as an open book: the cover being the protective layer around the nerves and the pages being the nerves themselves. As the neural tube or spine forms, it closes on itself much like you close a book. The cover completely surrounds the nerves and this becomes known as your spinal cord.
Emily’s began closing but stopped just above her hip bones, leaving the nerves controlling her lower extremities, bowels, and bladder exposed and vulnerable to damage. She had a surgery to close what was left of her open spinal cord just one day after her birth and at just two weeks old had a shunt put in her brain to relieve pressure from spinal fluid build up, called Hydrocephalus. Imagine finding out that this could have all been prevented with one tiny vitamin?
The development of her spine could have been completed correctly had my wife been taking Folic Acid during the first few weeks of pregnancy. Folic acid is a water-soluble, B-vitamin that is found in foods such as orange juice, fortified breads, leafy greens, and in most multi-vitamins. All that is recommended to prevent a neural tube defect is 400 micrograms of Folic Acid. This is a tiny amount that must be taken daily because it is absorbed by water and passed out of your body each day. Taking just 400 micrograms of Folic Acid has been found to reduce the incidence of Spina Bifida by 70 percent.
Thankfully, we were told of her diagnosis prior to her birth and we were given the opportunity to learn more about Spina Bifida and its inevitable effects on our daughter. We had the chance to learn more than we could have ever imagined about her before she was even born. Many parents do not get this chance. Now our hope is to educate others about Spina Bifida and how easily it can be prevented. Anyone can be affected by Spina Bifida. Whether you are a female of birthing age, married to one, or have a daughter you should be informed on the importance of Folic Acid and how something like this can be prevented in your life. That alone would be Emily’s purpose.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Monday, May 7, 2007
What is it?
Overview of Folic Acid and Spina Bifida
What is spina bifida?
Spina bifida is a neural birth defect that involves incomplete formation of the spine. Four out of every 10,000 babies in the United States are born with spina bifida.
Spina bifida is the most common of the neural tube defects—a group of serious birth defects of the brain and spinal cord. These birth defects occur during the first month of pregnancy—before most women know they are pregnant.
Who is at risk of having a child with spina bifida?
All women who could become pregnant are at risk of having a pregnancy affected by spina bifida. Women are at greater risk of having a pregnancy affected by spina bifida or another neural tube defect (NTD) if they have:
* A child with spina bifida, or a previous pregnancy affected by any NTD. An NTD-affected pregnancy increases a woman's chance to have another NTD-affected pregnancy approximately twenty times.
* Maternal diabetes with uncontrolled blood glucose
* Use of certain anti-seizure medication (e.g., Valproic acid/Depakene, and Carbamazapine/Tegretol)
* Medically diagnosed obesity (BMI > 30)
* Exposure to high temperatures in early pregnancy (i.e., prolonged fevers and hot tub use)
* Race/ethnicity (NTDs are more common among white women than black women and more common among Hispanic women than non-Hispanic women)
What can women do to reduce the risk of having a pregnancy affected by spina bifida?
Taking the B-vitamin folic acid every day can help reduce a woman’s chances of having a pregnancy affected by spina bifida. Taking enough folic acid is not, however, a guarantee. Other things can also affect a baby, including hereditary or environmental factors during pregnancy. Taking folic acid every day reduces the risk of spina bifida and other neural tube defects by as much as 70%.
Did You Know?
Most women don’t know the amount of folic acid they need, or when to start taking it. All women of childbearing age need a daily dose of 400 mcg of folic acid.
What is folic acid?
Folic acid is a B-vitamin that helps make healthy cells. Folic acid also lowers levels of the amino acid homocysteine, which might reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. Folic acid might help to prevent colon, cervical, and other cancers.* It also might reduce the risk for other birth defects, including cleft lip and palate, and some congenital heart defects. More research needs to be done before we can say for sure.
Folic acid is water-soluble, so it does not stay in the body for very long. Women must take it every day to help keep enough folic acid in their bodies to prevent serious neural tube defects like spina bifida.
How can a woman get folic acid?
There are two main forms of folic acid
* Sources of the synthetic form of folic acid can come from
o Vitamins.
o Enriched bread and grain products.
o Fortified breakfast cereals.
o Folic acid prescriptions for women who are at greater risk, e.g., women who have had a previously affected pregnancy.
* Sources of the natural form, such as found in food (also called "folate") include
o Leafy green vegetables.
o Orange juice from concentrate.
o Beans.
Our bodies absorb the synthetic form of folic acid more readily than the natural form. It's important to take a vitamin with folic acid every day. Women can buy vitamins with folic acid over-the-counter at any grocery or drug store. The recommendation for most women is 400 mcg per day, and most multivitamins sold in the US contain this amount. Women who are at greater risk need a prescription to take 4,000 mcg daily.
What about women who have spina bifida, or who already have a child with spina bifida?
Women who have spina bifida*, who have a child with spina bifida, or who have had a pregnancy affected by spina bifida are at higher risk for having another affected pregnancy. Your message to them? They need to follow 2 steps:
* Plan their pregnancies, and
* Take 4,000 mcg folic acid for at least 1 month before they attempt to become pregnant. If they are not planning to become pregnant, they should be taking 400 mcg daily.
* SBA RECOMMENDATION. NOT ENDORSED BY CDC.
Women who have had an NTD-affected pregnancy are about 20 times more likely to have a subsequent pregnancy affected by NTDs. Yet, such women report that their health care providers have advised them about the need for extra folic acid only 57% of the time.*
* SBA Reference: Spina Bifida Association. National Survey of the Spina Bifida Community, unpublished data, March 2004.
Did You Know?
Even with a prenatal vitamin and a diet of foods containing folic acid, women who are at risk of NTD recurrence need a prescription for 4000 mcg daily of folic acid.
Details on Spina Bifida from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Spina bifida happens when the lower end of the neural tube fails to close—preventing the spinal cord and backbones from developing normally. Leg paralysis, problems with bowel and bladder control, hydrocephalus, and learning disabilities are common associated disabilities. 80-90% of babies born with spina bifida live. Although they have varying degrees of disability, many people with spina bifida lead successful and productive lives.
What is spina bifida?
Spina bifida is a neural birth defect that involves incomplete formation of the spine. Four out of every 10,000 babies in the United States are born with spina bifida.
Spina bifida is the most common of the neural tube defects—a group of serious birth defects of the brain and spinal cord. These birth defects occur during the first month of pregnancy—before most women know they are pregnant.
Who is at risk of having a child with spina bifida?
All women who could become pregnant are at risk of having a pregnancy affected by spina bifida. Women are at greater risk of having a pregnancy affected by spina bifida or another neural tube defect (NTD) if they have:
* A child with spina bifida, or a previous pregnancy affected by any NTD. An NTD-affected pregnancy increases a woman's chance to have another NTD-affected pregnancy approximately twenty times.
* Maternal diabetes with uncontrolled blood glucose
* Use of certain anti-seizure medication (e.g., Valproic acid/Depakene, and Carbamazapine/Tegretol)
* Medically diagnosed obesity (BMI > 30)
* Exposure to high temperatures in early pregnancy (i.e., prolonged fevers and hot tub use)
* Race/ethnicity (NTDs are more common among white women than black women and more common among Hispanic women than non-Hispanic women)
What can women do to reduce the risk of having a pregnancy affected by spina bifida?
Taking the B-vitamin folic acid every day can help reduce a woman’s chances of having a pregnancy affected by spina bifida. Taking enough folic acid is not, however, a guarantee. Other things can also affect a baby, including hereditary or environmental factors during pregnancy. Taking folic acid every day reduces the risk of spina bifida and other neural tube defects by as much as 70%.
Did You Know?
Most women don’t know the amount of folic acid they need, or when to start taking it. All women of childbearing age need a daily dose of 400 mcg of folic acid.
What is folic acid?
Folic acid is a B-vitamin that helps make healthy cells. Folic acid also lowers levels of the amino acid homocysteine, which might reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. Folic acid might help to prevent colon, cervical, and other cancers.* It also might reduce the risk for other birth defects, including cleft lip and palate, and some congenital heart defects. More research needs to be done before we can say for sure.
Folic acid is water-soluble, so it does not stay in the body for very long. Women must take it every day to help keep enough folic acid in their bodies to prevent serious neural tube defects like spina bifida.
How can a woman get folic acid?
There are two main forms of folic acid
* Sources of the synthetic form of folic acid can come from
o Vitamins.
o Enriched bread and grain products.
o Fortified breakfast cereals.
o Folic acid prescriptions for women who are at greater risk, e.g., women who have had a previously affected pregnancy.
* Sources of the natural form, such as found in food (also called "folate") include
o Leafy green vegetables.
o Orange juice from concentrate.
o Beans.
Our bodies absorb the synthetic form of folic acid more readily than the natural form. It's important to take a vitamin with folic acid every day. Women can buy vitamins with folic acid over-the-counter at any grocery or drug store. The recommendation for most women is 400 mcg per day, and most multivitamins sold in the US contain this amount. Women who are at greater risk need a prescription to take 4,000 mcg daily.
What about women who have spina bifida, or who already have a child with spina bifida?
Women who have spina bifida*, who have a child with spina bifida, or who have had a pregnancy affected by spina bifida are at higher risk for having another affected pregnancy. Your message to them? They need to follow 2 steps:
* Plan their pregnancies, and
* Take 4,000 mcg folic acid for at least 1 month before they attempt to become pregnant. If they are not planning to become pregnant, they should be taking 400 mcg daily.
* SBA RECOMMENDATION. NOT ENDORSED BY CDC.
Women who have had an NTD-affected pregnancy are about 20 times more likely to have a subsequent pregnancy affected by NTDs. Yet, such women report that their health care providers have advised them about the need for extra folic acid only 57% of the time.*
* SBA Reference: Spina Bifida Association. National Survey of the Spina Bifida Community, unpublished data, March 2004.
Did You Know?
Even with a prenatal vitamin and a diet of foods containing folic acid, women who are at risk of NTD recurrence need a prescription for 4000 mcg daily of folic acid.
Details on Spina Bifida from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Spina bifida happens when the lower end of the neural tube fails to close—preventing the spinal cord and backbones from developing normally. Leg paralysis, problems with bowel and bladder control, hydrocephalus, and learning disabilities are common associated disabilities. 80-90% of babies born with spina bifida live. Although they have varying degrees of disability, many people with spina bifida lead successful and productive lives.
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