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Experts Available to Discuss World Spina Bifida Day
Food fortification could prevent 7 out of ten cases of this birth defect
WASHINGTON (Oct. 24, 2023)–Spina Bifida is the most common birth defect of the central nervous system affecting up to 310.000 babies born worldwide every year. October 25 marks World Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Day, which was established to raise awareness and understanding of these serious conditions.
The Global Alliance for the Prevention of Spina Bifida, which was co-founded by Gail Rosseau, MD, clinical professor of neurological surgery at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, hopes to help more countries prevent spina bifida by adding key micronutrients to food.
“Spina bifida is a preventable condition in the vast majority of cases,” Rosseau said. “Yet until just recently, only a small percentage of countries have adopted folic acid and micronutrient fortification policies for their food supply systems.”
Spina bifida occurs when the neural tube doesn’t close properly during pregnancy. Babies born with this birth defect can have mild weakness or total paralysis, cognitive damage and a host of other serious health problems.
Last May, the World Health Assembly unanimously passed a resolution that would accelerate efforts to fortify food with micronutrients, a step that was largely the result of the work of Rosseau and her colleagues at the Alliance.
“If widely implemented this resolution could help prevent more than 216,000 cases of spina bifida annually,” said Timothy Singer, a pediatrician and neurosurgery resident at the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences. “The worldwide economic benefit of preventing many cases of spina bifida translates to billions of dollars.”
To watch a video of Dr. Singer talking about spina bifida, please click here.
-GW-
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