The failure to boost folic acid in flour is currently linked to at least 2,000 birth defects in the UK.
This is the finding of a new study among pregnant women in the country. It further suggested that at least 30% of the pregnant women are not getting the proper supplementation that can improve the health and survival of their babies. These include failure to meet the folic acid requirement.
Also known as folate, the folic acid is a B vitamin (vitamin B9) that is responsible for the neural development of the baby. A deficiency of it can lead to a condition known as neural tube defects (NTDs) such as spina bifida, a condition characterized by the presence of gap in the spine. In its most severe form, it can cause leg paralysis, as well as urinary or bowel incontinence. NTDs can also lead to permanent disability or even early death.
The NHS suggests that women who wish to be pregnant should take around 400mcg of folic acid and continue to do so until the first trimester when the spine of the fetus is expected to develop. Pregnant women also take folic acid all throughout their pregnancy.
Folic acid can be derived naturally-that is, from grains and vegetables-but more often than not, the amount is not enough to meet the requirements. Over the years, other types of food staples such as bread have been fortified with folate.
For this study, the UK team compared their data with that of the United States, which have been enriching their bread with folic acid since 1998. Based on the results, while the United States was able to reduce their NTD cases by 23% from 1998 to 2012, there was very little change of prevalence in the UK. Further, if only UK would adopt the same measure, they can prevent 21% of possible NTD cases.
The report then highly recommends adopting a mandatory measure of adding folic acid to flour or breads.