Preventing Neural Tube Defects with Folic Acid
Neural tube defects (NTDs) are serious birth defects affecting the brain and spine. Adequate intake of certain nutrients during pregnancy is crucial for preventing these defects.
Role of Folic Acid
- Folic acid, also known as vitamin B9, plays a vital role in cell division and DNA synthesis.
- Supplementation with folic acid during the antenatal period (before and during early pregnancy) is well-established as a method to significantly reduce the risk of NTDs in babies.
- The neural tube forms very early in pregnancy, often before a woman knows she is pregnant, highlighting the importance of starting supplementation beforehand.
Vitamins and NTD Prevention
While other vitamins like Riboflavin (B2), Pyridoxine (B6), and Cyanocobalamin (B12) are essential for overall health, folic acid is specifically recognized for its preventive role against neural tube defects.
Therefore, supplementation with Folic acid during the antenatal period is recommended to prevent neural tube defects.
Important Questions from Congenital Disorders
- To prevent recurrence, expectant mothers with a previous fetus with neural tube defect should receive folic acid daily at the dose of :
Consider the following statements regarding non-invasive prenatal screening (NIPS) for screening high risk pregnancies for aneuploidies:
1. It is carried out on maternal blood.
2. It is done before 10 weeks gestation.
3. It has a negative predictive value of about 98%.
4. Invasive testing is needed for confirmation of a positive test.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
- The risk of Down syndrome is 100% in the offspring, if:
Which of the following are examples of genomic imprinting?
1. Angelman syndrome
2. Williams syndrome
3. Prader-Willi syndrome
4. DiGeorge syndrome
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
- To reduce the risk of neural tube defects in the baby, which of the following are recommended?
