Fight the risks of birth defects with folate

Every week in Australia, up to nine babies are born with a spinal cord defect. The most common is spina bifida, a serious and permanent disability. Evidence shows that a diet rich in folate can prevent two-thirds of cases.

In countries that have mandatory addition of folate to flour, folate status improved and spinal cord defect rates fell by up to 78%.

Australia’s National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) recommends women take 0.4 mg of food folate per day from at least one month before conception and for the first three months of pregnancy.

A recent study in the Lancet found that despite worldwide public health campaigns, many women are not following recommendations and risk giving birth to a baby with spinal cord defects.

The spinal cord closes in the very early weeks of the pregnancy. As up to 40% of pregnancies are unplanned, by the time a woman realises she is pregnant, the damage may already have been done.

But there are other good reasons to increase folate intake. There is increasing evidence that folate may also protect against heart disease, breast cancer, and even Alzheimer’s disease.

Folate is found in foods like green leafy vegetables, nuts, cereals, fruit and legumes (beans, peas and lentils). Microwaving, steaming or stir-frying are the best way to cook vegetables and still preserve their folate content.

Click here for more information about folate.

Remember: If you are planning to get pregnant, discuss your folate intake with your doctor.

Source: The Lancet, 22April 2006 http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140673606685826/abstract