Spina bifida group urges all women to take folic acid

Published on Wednesday 2 September 2009 22:02

ALL women of child-bearing age should take folic acid, campaigners said yesterday after a rise in spina bifida cases in Scotland.

In the first six months of this year, 15 babies have been born with the condition north of the Border – about twice the normal number.

Research shows that taking folic acid supplements helps prevent cases of spina bifida.

The Scottish Spina Bifida Association (SSBA) warned that factors such as unplanned pregnancies – which account for about half of the total – can mean that the vitamin is often taken too late.

Spina bifida causes vertebrae in the backbone to form incorrectly, often leading to paralysis from the waist down and other damage to the nervous system.

SSBA chairman Dr Margo Whiteford said: "This year we've had as many contacts from families in the first half of the year as we'd expect to see for the full year.

"We don't know if this is down to folic acid but we do know that most women don't take enough folic acid at the right time."

Dr Whiteford said women knew about folic acid preventing spina bifida, but they waited until missing a period before starting to take it.

"The spinal cord develops within the first four weeks of pregnancy so by that stage it's too late – if the baby's going to have spina bifida it will already have developed it," she said.

It is not known whether there has been a similar rise in spina bifida cases in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Andy Wynd, SSBA chief executive, said that while the number of spina bifida cases fluctuated in some years, the association had never seen such as increase as this year's. "There is no apparent reason for it that we can put a finger on," he said.

"Anyone who is in a relationship or planning a family should go on to folic acid supplementation. There are massive research studies that have suggested a 30 to 40 per cent reduction in neural tube defects, of which spina bifida is the most severe."

The Food Standards Agency currently recommends pregnant women take a daily 400 micrograms folic acid supplement until the 12th week of pregnancy. It is also recommended that women planning a pregnancy take folic acid at least three months before conception.

This is as well as eating foods containing the natural form of folic acid such as green vegetables, brown rice and breakfast cereals.

Currently, it is not mandatory to add folic acid to foods in the UK, as it is in other countries including the US.

The Food Standards Agency has backed adding the supplement to flour to help prevent defects, and a decision on whether this will go ahead is expected shortly.

Public health minister Shona Robison said: "NHS Scotland's publication Ready Steady Baby advises women that their baby's spine starts to grow very early in pregnancy – often before they know that they are expecting.

"This means it's important to make sure you're getting enough folic acid if you're hoping to get pregnant.

"Guidance recommends that women who are trying to conceive should take a folic acid tablet every day before they become pregnant and for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy."

'I can't stress enough just how important it is'

FIVE-year-old Ella Chambers was diagnosed with spina bifida when she was born. She cannot walk and has hydrocephalus, or water on the brain.

Her mother, Melanie, did not take folic acid until she found out she was pregnant, as the pregnancy was not planned.

It is recommended that women take the supplement at least three months prior to becoming pregnant to have the best chance of avoiding spina bifida in their child. Mrs Chambers, 37, thought the folic acid contained in breakfast cereal might offer some protection.

On a day-to-day basis, Mrs Chambers said the family faced a number of issues caused by Ella's condition. "The biggest problems we face are general issues with mobility, Ella's incontinence and people staring at us," she said.

Mrs Chambers, from Knightswood, Glasgow, is keen to encourage other women to take folic acid supplements to avoid the problems her family had faced. "I would strongly recommend that anyone who is of childbearing age and sexually active should take folic acid," she said. "I can't stress enough just how important it is."