Folic acid

Executive Summary

Multi-center trial to evaluate effects of folate supplementation on occurrence of Down's syndrome underway following research finding link between disorder and neural tube defects. Gad Barkai, Tel Aviv University, et al., studied women in Israel and the Ukraine, finding "periconceptional folic acid supplementation should be recommended" for mothers who have already had a child with Down's syndrome, since they are likely at an increased risk for having another child with neural tube defects. Study in April 19 The Lancet followed 493 families in Israel with high NTD risk, 516 families in the Ukraine with high risk for Down's syndrome. Barkai et al. examined medical records with information on maternal age, pregnancy outcome and congenital malformations...