Neural Tube Defects: Folic Acid
(asked on 2nd November 2015) - View Source
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what information they have about the average prevalence of births affected by neural tube defects in countries applying food fortification with folic acid compared to those countries that do not.
Data about fortifying and non-fortifying countries is not extensive and does not identify fortifiers and non-fortifiers in a meaningful way. As a result we do not have comparable data for prevalence of births with neural tube defects (NTDs) across the European Union or with North America pre and post fortification. Available data on prevalence is in the public domain and is listed below:
Prevalence of NTD per 10,000 births for those EU members states where figures are available | |
United Kingdom | 12.8 |
Belgium 8 | 8.54 |
Croatia | 4.64 |
Denmark | 11.24 |
France | 12.70 |
Germany | 11.00 |
Ireland | 8.19 |
Italy | 5.36 |
Netherlands | 6.71 |
Poland | 10.14 |
Portugal | 4.27 |
Spain | 9.55 |
Source: EUROCAT Special Report: Prevalence of Neural Tube Defects in younger mothers in Europe 20002008. EUROCAT (2010)
United States | 6.5 |
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Updated Estimates of Neural Tube Defects Prevented by Mandatory Folic Acid Fortification — United States, 1995–2011. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 2015; 64: 1-5.