[Neural defect prevalence in 248,352 consecutive newborns]

neural tube defects are a scourge for the population in nondeveloped countries.

to evaluate the prevalence of neural tube defects at a Gynecology and Obstetric Hospital at Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social.

it was compared two 5 years periods: one before (1995-1999) and other after (2000-2004) a State Health Department program (Secretaría de Salud, Nuevo Léon) with 5 mg folic acid supplementation once a week to women in reproductive age.

we registered 248,352 consecutive deliveries in a 10 year period, and we observed 319 cases of neural tube defects, with a global rate of 12.84 per 10,000 deliveries. From 1995 to 1999, there were 132,360 deliveries, with 212 neural tube defects (16.01 rate per 10,000 deliveries); the rate of anencephaly was 6.49, spina bifida 8.23, and encephalocele 1.28. After the folic acid program was established, during the following period 2000 to 2004, there were 115,992 deliveries, 108 with neural tube defects (9.31 rate per 10,000 newborns), with 41.8 % reduction (p <0.001). Also decreased were anencephaly rates: 28.3 % (nonsignificant) and spina bifida 63.4 % (p < 0.001).

the neural tube defects rate has been declining in the last five years compared with the 5 years previous by 41 %, significantly more for spina bifida than anencephaly.