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Folic Acid-Fortified Foods Helps Reduce Heart Defects In Newborns

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Food fortified with folic acid can help reduce the risks of heart defects in newborns, a new study suggests. In Canada, folic acid became a mandatory addition to all kinds of flour, cornmeal and enriched pasta in 1998, US News reports.

Researchers examined data on close to 6 million births in Canada from between 1990 and 2011. For the duration of the study, they noted an 11% decrease in rates of congenital heart defects overall, although not all kinds of heart conditions were covered.

The biggest drops at 15 to 27% were in structural heart defects, such as holes in the wall of the newborn’s heart or narrowing of the aorta. There was no decline in heart defects caused by a difference in infant chromosomes, the researchers report.

There are around 650,000 to 1.3 million children and adult Americans with congenital heart defects.

The most common type of abnormality in children is a hole in the wall of a ventricle, accounting for close to 620,000 of all congenital heart conditions, the study says.

A lack of folic acid during pregnancy can lead to complications, such as anemia, abnormalities in spine and spinal cord growth, among others.

Folic acid is a form of Vitamin B and folate, which plays a major role in producing red blood cells and helps brain and spine development in fetuses. Folate is naturally found in dark green vegetables and citrus fruits, but the best source for it is in fortified cereals and grains.

Doctors recommend that women who are trying to conceive should start taking folic acid supplements to add to what they may be getting from their diet. Dr. K.S. Joseph, the lead author on the study and professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, says a regular diet may not provide the necessary levels of folic acid a pregnant woman will need.

Joseph added that the study results could apply to the United States. Both countries began fortifying their food with folic acid at around the same time, he adds.

The study was published in the journal Circulation.

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