Neural tube defects more likely due to low vitamin D than low Folate – April 2017

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:Low vitamin D WAS associated with NTD, Folate was NOT - 2017

Comparison Of Serum Folate, 25-OH Vitamin D And Calcium Levels Between Pregnants With And Without Fetal Anomaly Of Neural Tube Origin
J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2017 Apr 19:1-14. doi: 10.1080/14767058.2017.1319924. [Epub ahead of print]
Sirinoglu HA 1, Pakay K 1, Aksoy M 1, Bakırci IT 1, Ozkaya E 2, Sanverdi I 3.
1 Zeynep Kamil Kadin ve Cocuk Hastaliklari Egitim ve Arastirma Hastanesi , Istanbul, 34668 Turkey.
2 Zeynep Kamil Maternity/Children Education and Training Hospital , Üsküdar - Istanbul - Turkey.
3 Zeynep Kamil Women And Children's Health Training And Research Hospital , istanbul , Turkey.

AIM: The aim of this study was to compare serum folate, vitamin B12, 25-OH vitamin D and calcium levels between pregnants with and without fetal anomaly of neural tube origin.

METHODS: One hundred seventy eight pregnants were recruited for this study. Pregnants with and without sonographically detected fetal anomaly of neural tube origin were compared in terms of serum folate, vitamin B12, 25-OH vitamin D and calcium levels.

RESULTS: There were significant differences between groups with regard to age, serum 25 OH vitamin D, 1,25 OH vitamin D, folate, calcium and B 12 levels. Multivariate regression analyses revealed significant associations between the serum 25 OH vitamin D level, age and the neural tube defect.

CONCLUSION: Vitamin D and the age of pregnants were significantly associated with the neural tube defects.

[Note by VitaminDWiki – Folate was studied but not mentioned in abstract]

PDF is available free at Sci-Hub   10.1080/14767058.2017.1319924

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NTD pregnacies were associated with low Vitamin D, none of NTD group had sufficient vitamin D - May 2016

Maternal 25-hydroxyvitamin D level and the occurrence of neural tube defects in Tunisia
Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2016 Aug;134(2):131-4. doi: 10.1016/j.ijgo.2016.01.014. Epub 2016 May 4.
Nasri K1, Ben Fradj MK2, Feki M2, Kaabechi N2, Sahraoui M3, Masmoudi A3, Marrakchi R4, Gaigi SS3.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether low vitamin D levels in pregnant women are associated with the occurrence of neural tube defects (NTDs) in Tunisia.

METHODS:
In a prospective study, pregnant women were recruited at a center in Tunis between January 1, 2012, and December 30, 2013. Women carrying a fetus with a severe NTD were recruited before elective termination. Matched, healthy pregnancy women were enrolled into a control group. Plasma levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D were measured by a competitive chemiluminescence immunoassay.

RESULTS:
Overall, 68 women formed the NTD group and 64 the control group. The mean maternal vitamin D level was significantly lower in the NTD group (20.65±10.25nmol/L) than in the control group (28.30±13.82nmol/L; P<0.001). Vitamin D deficiency was recorded for 53 (78%) women in the NTD group and 39 (61%) in the control group. Vitamin D insufficiency was recorded for 15 (22%) women in the NTD group and 20 (31%) in the control group. Vitamin D sufficiency was found only in the control group (n=5 [8%]; P<0.001).

CONCLUSION: The findings confirm an association between a decreased vitamin D level in pregnant women and the risk of fetal NTDs.

PMID: 27198744 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijgo.2016.01.014

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Low Vitamin D or Low Calcium associated with NTD - 2016

Maternal serum vitamin D levels in pregnancies complicated by neural tube defects
J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2016;29(2):298-302. doi: 10.3109/14767058.2014.999037. Epub 2014 Dec 29.
Daglar K1, Tokmak A1, Kirbas A1, Guzel AI1, Erkenekli K1, Yucel A1, Uygur D1.
1 a Dr. Zekai Tahir Burak Women's Health Research and Education Hospital , Ankara , Turkey.

OBJECTIVE:
The association between vitamin D deficiency and abnormal neural development has been proposed previously. We aimed to evaluate maternal serum vitamin D levels in pregnancies complicated by neural tube defects (NTDs) and compared them with healthy pregnant women.

METHODS:
A total of 60 pregnant women were included in this controlled cross-sectional study. Thirty of the patients whose pregnancies were complicated by meningocele, meningomyelocele, encephalocele, anencephaly and fetal acrania constituted the study group, whereas 30 normal pregnant women constituted the control group. The main parameters recorded for each woman were as follows: age, body mass index (BMI), gestational week (GW), gravidity, abortion, co-morbidities, dressing style, consumption of milk and dairy products and serum levels of 25(OH)VitD3, calcium, albumin and total protein.

RESULTS:
The mean maternal serum 25(OH)VitD3 level was 6.2 ± 5.0 ng/ml in the study group and 9.1 ± 7.3 ng/ml in the control group (p: 0.071) The mean maternal serum calcium level was statistically significantly higher in the control group, and calcium-rich dietary intake was also more common in this group (p < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between groups in terms of age, BMI, GW, dressing style and serum levels of albumin and total protein.

CONCLUSIONS:
Vitamin D deficiency is common among pregnant women, and maternal serum calcium levels were lower in pregnancies complicated by NTD than healthy pregnant women. Larger further studies are required to evaluate the effects of calcium-rich dietary sources or vitamin D and calcium in the development of NTDs.

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31+ VitaminDWiki pages with FOLATE or FOLIC in the title

This list is automatically updated

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See also web

https://www.drfuhrman.com/library/folic_acid_dangers_and_prenatal_vitamins.aspx
Folic Acid increases Breast Cancer risk by 20%
Folic Acid increases colorectal cancer by 35%
Folic Acid increases risk of childhood asthma by 26%
Folic Acid 43% more likely to die from cancer.
Folic Acid, then 30 years later twice as likely to die from breast cancer
   Note: Folate was proven to reduce NTD, not Folic Acid