September 2009. Volume 5. Number 3

Fortification of grain products with folic acid reduces the prevalence of severe congenital cardiopathies

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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AVC | Critically appraised articles

Ionescu-Ittu R, Marelli AJ, Mackie AS, Pilote L. Prevalence of severe congenital heart disease after folic acid fortification on grain products: time trends analysis in Quebec, Canada. BMJ. 2009;338:b1673. doi:10.1136/bmj.b1673
Reviewers: Olivares Grohnert M1, Cuestas Montañés EJ2.
1Instituto de Nutrición y Tecnología de los Alimentos, Universidad de Chile. Santiago. Región Metropolitana. Chile.
2Servicio de Pediatría y Neonatología. Hospital Privado. Centro Formador. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Córdoba. Argentina.
Correspondence: Manuel Olivares Grohnert. Email: molivare@inta.cl
Reception date: 28/07/2009
Acceptance date: 30/07/2009
Publication date: 10/09/2009

Abstract

Authors' conclusions: public health measures to increase folic acid intake were followed by a decrease in the birth prevalence of severe congenital heart defects. These findings support the hypothesis that folic acid has a preventive effect on heart defects.

Reviewers' commentary: this population study shows that fortification of wheat flour and grain-products with folic acid, in Canada, was followed by a significant decrease in the prevalence of severe congenital heart diseases, supporting the hypothesis that an appropriate folic acid intake around the time of conception reduces the prevalence of severe congenital cardiopathies.

How to cite this article

Olivares Grohnert M, Cuestas E. La fortificación de las harinas y los cereales con ácido fólico reduce la prevalencia de cardiopatías congénitas severas. Evid Pediatr. 2009;5:66.

AVC | Critically appraised articles

Ionescu-Ittu R, Marelli AJ, Mackie AS, Pilote L. Prevalence of severe congenital heart disease after folic acid fortification on grain products: time trends analysis in Quebec, Canada. BMJ. 2009;338:b1673. doi:10.1136/bmj.b1673
Reviewers: Olivares Grohnert M1, Cuestas Montañés EJ2.
1Instituto de Nutrición y Tecnología de los Alimentos, Universidad de Chile. Santiago. Región Metropolitana. Chile.
2Servicio de Pediatría y Neonatología. Hospital Privado. Centro Formador. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Córdoba. Argentina.
Correspondence: Manuel Olivares Grohnert. Email: molivare@inta.cl
Reception date: 28/07/2009
Acceptance date: 30/07/2009
Publication date: 10/09/2009

How to cite this article

Olivares Grohnert M, Cuestas E. La fortificación de las harinas y los cereales con ácido fólico reduce la prevalencia de cardiopatías congénitas severas. Evid Pediatr. 2009;5:66.

References

  1. Czeizel AE. Periconceptional folic acid and multivitamin supplementation for the prevention of neural tube defects and other congenital abnormalities. Birth Defects Res A Clin Mol Teratol. 2009;85:260-8.
  2. Huhta JC, Linask K, Bailey L. Recent advances in the prevention of congenital heart disease. Curr Opin Pediatr. 2006;18(5):484-9.
  3. Pitkin RM. Folate and neural tube defects. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007;85(Suppl):S285-8.
  4. Hoffman JI, Kaplan S, Liberthson RR. Prevalence of congenital heart disease. Am Heart J. 2004;147:425-39.
  5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Trends in wheat-flour fortification with folic acid and iron--worldwide, 2004 and 2007. Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2008;57:8-10.
10/09/2009

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