The Government has said that the evidence suggests that taking folic acid during pregnancy can significantly reduce the risk of fetal abnormalities. In December 2017, the former Scottish Health Minister, Aileen Campbell and the Welsh Secretary for Health and Social Services, Vaughan Gething, wrote to the then Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Jeremy Hunt, calling on him to introduce mandatory folic acid fortification across the UK. There has been longstanding support from health organisations for the introduction of folic acid fortification.įollowing a 2017 review of the evidence in this area, the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (the body that advises the Government on nutrition and related health matters) published updated recommendations on folic acid fortification, which reiterated its previous recommendations for “mandatory folic acid fortification to improve the folate status of women most at risk of NTD-affected pregnancies.” A 2001 study found that the introduction of folic acid fortification in the USA was associated with a 19% reduction in birth prevalence of neural tube defects between 19.
Lower rates arise in countries where folic acid fortification has been introduced, such as the USA and Canada. Īpproximately 700 to 900 pregnancies are affected by neural tube defects each year in the UK. Neural tube defects will be screened for at this scan. The NHS fetal anomaly screening programme recommends that pregnant women are offered a mid-pregnancy scan at 18-20 weeks of pregnancy to screen for major fetal abnormalities. Babies with anencephaly die before they are born or shortly after birth.
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These can include problems with walking, loss of skin sensation, impaired bladder and bowel function and learning difficulties.Īnencephaly is another neural tube defect where the skull does not develop properly, and this results in severe damage to the brain. Where needed, surgery can repair the opening in the spine, but some symptoms may remain. There are several different types of spina bifida which will vary greatly in severity. Spina bifida is the most common neural tube defect where part of the neural tube doesn’t develop or close properly, leading to defects in the spinal cord and bones of the spine of the child.
They occur very early in pregnancy, often when the woman is not aware she is pregnant. Neural tube defects are congenital conditions where the brain or spinal cord of an embryo does not develop properly. There has been support from health organisations for the introduction of folic acid fortification and on 23 October 2018, the Government announced a consultation on the introduction of mandatory fortification of flour with folic acid. However, about a half of pregnancies in the UK are unplanned, so some women are missing out on this supplementation. Most people will get the required amount of folic acid through their diet, but it is recommended that all pregnant women, and those trying to conceive, take a daily folic acid supplement through early pregnancy to reduce the risk of neural tube defects. I am an entertainer I love making people feel!! performing music as Happy Bones for over 25 yrs and performing Stand up comedy for a few years now as Happy Bones Jones.On 25 October there will be a general debate in the Commons chamber on folic acid fortification.įolic acid helps the body to form healthy red blood cells and helps reduce the risk of fetal abnormalities called neural tube defects (such as spina bifida).
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