Pregnancy neural tube defects

Risk factors for deficiency Pregnancy (neural tube defects in fetus may result) Alcoholism Severe malnutrition Risk fiictors for deficiency Pernicious anemia Gastric resection Chronic pancreatitis Severe malnutrition Vegan Infection with D. latum... 

Moreover, the correlation between folate intake and the occurrence of pregnancy neural tube defects has been previously studied and extensively discussed (Hibbard 1964 Mulinare et al. 1988). Based on the study by Johnson and Lund (2007), folate intake was also found to be inversely related to the risk of colorectal cancer. 

The monitoring of pregnancies for neural tube defects Is the most recent of the Indications for prenatal diagnosis In families In which one child has been affected, the risk of recurrence Is approximately 4% Of the 16 pregnancies In which amniocentesis was done to determine the level of a-fetoprotein, no affected fetuses were found ... 

Q68 Neural tube defects are associated with administration during pregnancy of ... 

Anti-epileptic drugs, such as phenytoin, carbamazepine and valproate, may lead to neural tube defects if administered during pregnancy. Concurrent administration of folate supplements, such as folic acid, is recommended. 

Neural tube defects congenital malformations of the skull and spinal cord resulting from failure of the neural tube to close during pregnancy... 

Folate deficiency during pregnancy is a major contributor to neural tube defects because of the critical role of folate in neuronal development. 

Because both drugs may interfere with folic acid metabolism, their use during pregnancy is usually contraindicated by the potential for effects on the fetus, such as the development of neural tube defects associated with folate deficiency. The use of trimethoprim is contraindicated in patients with blood dyscrasias, hepatic damage, and renal impairment. 

Anyone taking diuretics for longer than six months may experience a folate, or folic acid, deficiency. Folic acid plays a part in the health and reproduction of virtually every cell in the body. It is responsible for protein metabolism, the prevention of neural tube defects in pregnancy, blood cell production, and the synthesis of neurotransmitters. Individuals with folate deficiencies may suffer from anemia, depression and other mood disorders, and may give birth to babies with neural tube defects. Supplementation with folic acid may be useful in reversing these effects. 

There has been an association between folate deficiency during the first weeks of pregnancy and neural tube defects, leading to a campaign to encourage folic acid intake. In as how much UV exposure might contribute to folate deficiency is still under discussion.126-128... 

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