Neural tube defects in Jamaica following Hurricane Gilbert

E.M.W. Duff and E.S. Cooper

American Journal of Public Health, 1994, vol. 84, issue 3, 473-476

Abstract: An increased incidence of obvious live-birth neural tube defects (i.e., spina bifida cystica and encephalocele) occurred in Jamaica 11 to 18 months after Hurricane Gilbert. The conceptions of the affected babies coincided with a rise in megaloblastic change in sickle cell patients, suggesting a wide-spread drop in dietary folate intake. A detailed history was taken from each of the 17 affected mothers (case subjects) and 51 unaffected mothers (matched control subjects). The case subjects reported a significantly lower mean intake of dietary folate in the periconceptional period (154 μg/day) than did the control subjects (254 μg/day). The temporary increase in neural tube defects was associated with a diet comparatively low in folate in the periconceptional period, suggesting the dietary level of folate that fails to protect against neural tube defects under natural conditions.

Date: 1994
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

There are no downloads for this item, see the EconPapers FAQ for hints about obtaining it.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:1994:84:3:473-476_9

Access Statistics for this article

American Journal of Public Health is currently edited by Alfredo Morabia

More articles in American Journal of Public Health from American Public Health Association
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Christopher F Baum ().