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[Frequency of neural tube defects in public maternity during 1999 in Santiago, Chile]
F Cortés1, C Mellado, E Hertrampf
1Instituto de Nutrición y Tecnología de los Alimento (INTA), Universidad de Chile, Servicio de Genética, Hospital Clínico de la Universidad de Chile, José Joaquín Aguirre, Santiago, Chile. fcortes@uec.inta.uchile.cl
Background:
Fortification of wheat flour with folic acid in Chile, started in January 2000. This fortification should decrease the incidence of neural tube defects.
Aim:
To study the incidence of neural tube defects among Chilean newborns, during 1999.
Material And Methods:
The records of all newborns and stillbirths with a birth weight over 500 g from 9 public maternity hospitals in Santiago in 1999, were reviewed. All neural tube defects, associated or not to other malformations were taken into account.
Results:
During the study period, 59.627 newborns and 455 stillbirths were analyzed. The global incidence of neural tube defects was 1.56 per 1.000 born (57% women, 42% men and 1% ambiguous sex). Spina bifida was the most frequent neural tube defect found.
Conclusion:
These baseline data will be useful to assess the impact of folic acid fortification of wheat flour.
