English Journal

Maternal flu or fever, medications use in the first trimester and the risk for neural tube defects: a hospital-based case-control study in China.

Wang M1, Wang ZP, Gong R, Zhao ZT.Author information 1Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Shandong University, 44 Wenhua Xilu Road, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, China, wm198817@163.com.AbstractPURPOSE: This study aims to evaluate the effects of maternal flu or fever, and medications (antibiotics and antipyretics) use in the first trimester on neural tube defects (NTDs) risk in offspring.
Child's nervous system : ChNS : official journal of the International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery.Childs Nerv Syst.2014 Apr;30(4):665-71. doi: 10.1007/s00381-013-2305-3. Epub 2013 Oct 26.
PURPOSE: This study aims to evaluate the effects of maternal flu or fever, and medications (antibiotics and antipyretics) use in the first trimester on neural tube defects (NTDs) risk in offspring.METHODS: Data came from a hospital-based case-control study conducted between 2006 and 2008 in Shandong
PMID 24158591

Health needs assessment for congenital anomalies in middle-income countries: Examining the case for neural tube defects in Brazil.

Schuler-Faccini L1, Sanseverino MT, de Rocha Azevedo LM, Moorthie S, Alberg C, Chowdhury S, Sagoo GS, Burton H, Nacul LC.Author information 1INAGEMP (Instituto Nacional de Genética Médica Populacional) at Teratogen Information Service, Medical Genetics Service, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil, lavinia.faccini@gmail.com.AbstractRecent economic improvement in Brazil has been reflected in better maternal-child health indicators, with decreases in infant and perinatal mortality. However, under-five mortality due to congenital disorders remained unchanged, and congenital disorders have become the second leading cause of infant mortality. In the present study, we used the PHG Foundation Health Needs Assessment (HNA) Toolkit with the objective of first assessing the burden of disease caused by neural tube defects (NTDs) in Brazil and the impact of interventions already put in place to address the burden, and second to evaluate and prioritize further interventions and policies required for its prevention and treatment. The results from these two components of the HNA process are described in this paper. The published literature was reviewed to identify studies of NTDs (prevalence; morbidity; prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal mortality; treatment or prevention). Data on indicators of maternal and child health were obtained directly from the Brazilian Ministry of Health, through the online Live Births Information System (SINASC) and from the Mortality Information System (SIM). Descriptive analyses included reports of the rates of NTD in liveborns, fetal, and infant deaths. Differences between folic acid flour pre-fortification (2001-2004) and post-fortification (2006-2010) periods were expressed as prevalence rate ratios. Around 20 % of fetal deaths were related to congenital disorders with approximately 5 % of those being NTDs. For infant mortality, congenital disorders were notified in approximately 15 % of cases, with NTDs present in 10 % of the malformed children. Although statistically significant, the prevalence rate ratio (PRR) for spina bifida in live births was only 0.937 (95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.884-0.994), a decrease of 6.3 % when comparing the pre and post-fortification periods. The impact of fortification seemed to be more visible in fetal deaths due to anencephaly (PRR = 0.727, 95 % CI 0.681-0.777) and for spina bifida (PRR = 0.700, 95 % CI 0.507-0.967) with associated decreases of 27.3 and 30 %. The lower impact of folic acid fortification in Brazil, compared to other Latin-American countries, can be due to differences in dietary habits, concentration of folic acid in flour, as well as characteristic population ethnic composition. The HNA led to the identification of the needs to be addressed in Brazil, including the improvement of reporting congenital disorders within the nationwide birth certification system, and revision of the policy of flour folic acid fortification.
Journal of community genetics.J Community Genet.2014 Apr;5(2):147-55. doi: 10.1007/s12687-013-0165-x. Epub 2013 Aug 30.
Recent economic improvement in Brazil has been reflected in better maternal-child health indicators, with decreases in infant and perinatal mortality. However, under-five mortality due to congenital disorders remained unchanged, and congenital disorders have become the second leading cause of infant
PMID 23990401

Neural tube defects in the Republic of Ireland in 2009-11.

McDonnell R1, Delany V, O'Mahony MT, Mullaney C, Lee B, Turner MJ.Author information 1Health Intelligence Unit, Health Service Executive, Dr Steevens Hospital, Dublin 8, Ireland.AbstractBACKGROUND: Neural tube defects (NTDs) are associated with deficient maternal folic acid peri-conceptionally. In Ireland, there is no mandatory folic acid food fortification, partly due to declining NTD rates in recent years. The aim of this study was to ascertain the incident rate of NTD during the period 2009-11 and describe epidemiologically NTD in Ireland.METHODSCases were ascertained through multiple sources, including three regional congenital anomaly registers, all maternity hospitals nationally and paediatric hospitals providing care for children with spina bifida in the Republic of Ireland during the period 2009-11.RESULTSFrom 225 998 total births, 236 NTDs were identified, giving an incidence of 1.04/1 000 births, increasing from 0.92/1 000 in 2009 to 1.17/1 000 in 2011. Of all cases, 45% (n = 106) had anencephaly, 49% (n = 115) had spina bifida and 6% (n = 15) had an encephalocoele; 78% (n = 184) were liveborn or stillborn and 22% (n = 52) were terminations abroad. Peri-conceptional folic acid supplement intake was 13.7% among the 52.5% (n = 124) of cases whose folic acid supplement intake was known.CONCLUSIONThe incidence of NTDs in the Republic of Ireland appears to be increasing. Renewed public health interventions, including mandatory folic acid food fortification, must be considered to reduce the incidence of NTD.
Journal of public health (Oxford, England).J Public Health (Oxf).2014 Mar 18. [Epub ahead of print]
BACKGROUND: Neural tube defects (NTDs) are associated with deficient maternal folic acid peri-conceptionally. In Ireland, there is no mandatory folic acid food fortification, partly due to declining NTD rates in recent years. The aim of this study was to ascertain the incident rate of NTD during the
PMID 24643675

Japanese Journal

<Case report>An autopsy case of cystic brain anomaly and acrania caused by amniotic band syndrome

OBANA Yasuro,NAKAMURA Yoshinobu,FURUTA Itaru,OHBA Yasuhiro,HIRUMA Shingo,TANJI Kurenai,HASHIMOTO Shigeo,HORII Takahisa
Acta medica Kinki University 16(2), 165-173, 1991-11
… Anencephalia was suspected based upon a B-scope examination and the dead fetus was delivered in the transverse lie, first single breech presentation. … The face was characteristic of anencephalia. …
NAID 110000007303

胎児内胎児,本邦23例の検討

片山修,馬淵原吾,倉光秀麿,織畑秀夫
日本小児外科学会雑誌 18(1), 193-203, 1982-02-20
… All fetus had several defects such as anencephalia, polydactylia, oligodactylia, syndactylia or loss of extremities. …
NAID 110002095810