Related Experiment Videos
Diarrhea: a new risk factor for neural tube defects?
Marilyn Felkner1, Kate Hendricks, Lucina Suarez
1Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Surveillance Division, Texas Department of Health, Austin, Texas 78756, USA. Marilyn.Felkner@tdh.state.tx.us
Birth Defects Research. Part A, Clinical and Molecular Teratology
|October 21, 2003
Summary
Periconceptional diarrhea, or diarrhea around conception, significantly increases the risk of neural tube defects (NTDs). This finding suggests a new, modifiable risk factor for these common birth defects.
Area of Science:
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Neural tube defects (NTDs) impact approximately 4000 US pregnancies annually.
- Folic acid and vitamin B12 are crucial for preventing NTDs.
- Gastrointestinal issues like diarrhea may impair vitamin absorption, elevating NTD risk.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between periconceptional diarrhea and the risk of NTD-affected pregnancies.
- To identify potential modifiable risk factors for neural tube defects.
Main Methods:
- A population-based case-control study was conducted in Texas-Mexico border counties.
- In-person interviews were used to collect data on diarrhea and other risk factors.
- Case subjects had infants with anencephaly, spina bifida, or encephalocele; controls had normal live births.
Main Results:
- Periconceptional diarrhea was associated with a 3.7-fold increased risk of NTD-affected pregnancies.
- This association remained significant even after accounting for known NTD risk factors.
- Factors controlled for included fever, obesity, maternal age, income, and folate intake.
Conclusions:
- Periconceptional diarrhea emerges as a novel risk factor for neural tube defects.
- Public health strategies could potentially mitigate NTD risk by addressing diarrhea.
- Further research is warranted to confirm and understand this association.