Discoveries and Data: Specific Conditions

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folic acid

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VITAMINS WITH FOLIC ACID PLAY PROTECTIVE ROLE

	Women who had taken folic acid-containing multivitamins around the time of conception or in early pregnancy had 36% less chance of babies with limb defects. The risk reduction did not depend on demographic factors such as mother's age, race/ethnicity or education level.

	Lowered risk is mainly for longitudinal defects (those affecting a lengthwise segment of the arm/leg). There was no effect for transverse (amputation-type) defects.

	One bowl of vitamin-fortified cereal contains at least 0.1 milligrams of folic acid-25% of the daily level recommended for women of childbearing age. Among women who did not take multivitamins, those consuming fortified cereal had lower risks.

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OTHER STUDIES

	Corticosteroids. Use of drugs such as cortisone and prednisone to treat asthma, autoimmune diseases and to reduce inflammation did not alter risk for limb defects.

	Pesticides. Household gardening caused a modest risk increase in limb defects. However, we saw no increased risk among mothers with the pesticide exposures we had expected to be most intense: occupational contact and self-applied home pest control.

	Smoking. There was a modest risk increase for limb defects if either parent smoked more than 20 cigarettes/day, but the association is not clearcut.