Neural tube defects and periconceptional folic acid

Rezan A. Kadir; Demetrios L. Economides

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Neural tube defects and folic acid
h. kalter

Posted on: 14 January 2004

Posted on: (14 January 2004)
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Neural tube defects and folic acid
h. kalter
If the readers of CMAJ wish better to appreciate the saga of the relation between folic acid and neural tube defects, the articles by Gucciardi and Persad and the commentary on them by Kadir published in volume 167 of the journal must be supplmented by reading the full history of the relation, which can be found in a special article in Reproductive Toxicology, volume 14, 2000, and a large chapter in my recently publish...
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If the readers of CMAJ wish better to appreciate the saga of the relation between folic acid and neural tube defects, the articles by Gucciardi and Persad and the commentary on them by Kadir published in volume 167 of the journal must be supplmented by reading the full history of the relation, which can be found in a special article in Reproductive Toxicology, volume 14, 2000, and a large chapter in my recently published book 'Teratology of the 20th Century: congenital malformations in humans and how their envirionmental causes were established.' There they will learn how the tale began early in 1950 when John Thiersch, a pathologist in Seattle, found congenital malformations in fetuses caused by powerful antagonists of folic acid used as abortifacients. They will then discover how the connection was deduced, how ithe connection developed, and finally how there arose the allegation of the prevention of such defects by folic acid supplementation. And last they will learn of the many studies in recent years that have thrown serious doubts on the validity of these allegations.
Conflict of Interest:
None declared
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Competing Interests: None declared.