Every now and them, something thought to be insignificant has a profound effect. A good example was the discovery that placing babies on their back to sleep reduced their risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Another example, with equally profound effects, was the discovery that women who take folic acid before and during pregnancy are less likely to give birth to an infant with a neural tube defect.

The benefits of folic acid are so compelling that several nations, including the United States, Chile, and Canada, made the decision to fortify all flours with folic acid in an effort to insure adequate intake of folic acid by women of child-bearing age.

A new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) reports that the incidence of neural tube defects in Canada has dropped by 46 percent since folic acid fortification was introduced. Similar actions are being considered in Australia, Ireland, and the UK.

According to food science reporter Stephen Daniells, “Folate is found in foods such as green leafy vegetables, chick peas, and lentils. An overwhelming body of evidence links folate deficiency in early pregnancy to increased risk of neural tube defects, most commonly spina bifida and anencephaly.”

When grain products are fortified with folic acid, the sythetic, bioavailable form of folate, folic acid is integrated into the food chain, and supplementation does not depend solely upon women taking vitamins. Critics of folic acid fortification cite concerns that high levels of folic acid may mask signs of vitamin B12 deficiency, which in the elderly can lead to dementia.

Authors of the NEJM article recommend that “Decisions regarding the optimal level of food fortification and the types of foods to be enriched must take into account both safety, especially for seniors who may have unrecognized B12 deficiency, and the goal of maximizing the reduction in neural tube defects.”

Public health officials are challenged to identify ways for mothers to be good to their babies before they’re conceived!