ArticleBMC pregnancy and childbirth2017
Folic acid usage and associated factors in the prevention of neural tube defects among pregnant women in Ethiopia: cross-sectional study.
Article in BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 31 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
31 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Does previous pregnancy experience improve folic acid supplementation uptake? A systematic review and meta-analysis.BMJ open · 2026Pooled it
- Preconception health risks among women of reproductive age in Sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review of implications for preconception care.Journal of health, population, and nutrition · 2025Pooled it
- Folic acid supplementation during preconception period in sub-Saharan African countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis.PloS one · 2025Pooled it
- Birth prevalence and determinants of neural tube defects among newborns in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.PloS one · 2025Pooled it
- Magnitude and determinants of neural tube defect in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2021Pooled it
- Knowledge and utilisation of preconception care and associated factors among women in Ethiopia: systematic review and meta-analysis.Reproductive health · 2021Pooled it
- Mothers' utilization and associated factors of preconception care in Africa, a systematic review and meta-analysis.PloS one · 2021Pooled it
- Prior Pregnancies Deplete Maternal Folate Status and Increase Risks of Neural Tube Defects in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.The Journal of nutrition · 2026Article
- The critical gap in prevention: knowledge of periconception folic acid supplementation and its predictors among pregnant women in Ethiopia.Maternal health, neonatology and perinatology · 2026Article
- Preconception folic acid utilization and associated factors among reproductive-age women in Lemi Kura Sub City, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2024.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2025Article
- Obstetric Ultrasound Screening in Lebanon for Fetal Diagnosis and Associated Factors of Congenital Abnormalities.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Neural tube defect among newborns in public hospitals of Tigray region, northern Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study.PloS one · 2025Article
- Determinants of externally visible birth defects among perinatal deaths at Adama Comprehensive Specialized Hospital: a case-control study.BMC pediatrics · 2024Article
- Utilization of iron-folic acid supplementation and related factors in pregnant women in Leka Dulecha District, East Wollega Zone, Western Ethiopia: The case study.Health science reports · 2024Article
- Serum folate deficiency and associated factors among pregnant women in Haramaya District, Eastern Ethiopia: a community-based study.BMJ open · 2023Article
- Individual and contextual-level factors associated with iron-folic acid supplement intake during pregnancy in Ethiopia: a multi-level analysis.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2023Article
- Neural tube defects among new borns: a cross-sectional study.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2023Article
- The burden, prevention and care of infants and children with congenital anomalies in sub-Saharan Africa: A scoping review.PLOS global public health · 2023Article
- Pregnant women's knowledge of birth defects and their associated factors among antenatal care attendees in referral hospitals of Amhara regional state, Ethiopia, in 2019.Frontiers in global women's health · 2023Article
- Knowledge and Practice of Childbearing Women in Saudi Arabia towards Folic Acid Supplement-Evidence from a Cross-Sectional Study.Nutrients · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundNeural tube defects are among the most common birth defects, contributing to miscarriage, infant mortality, severe congenital abnormalities and serious disabilities. It is burdensome to patients, caregivers, healthcare systems and society. It could be reduced if women consume a folic acid supplement before and during the early weeks of pregnancy. This study assesses folic acid usage and associated factors for the prevention of neural tube defects among pregnant women in Ethiopia.
methodsInstitution based cross-sectional study was conducted on 417 systematically sampled, consented pregnant women that visited Adama hospital medical college for antenatal care during August to November 2014. Pretested interviewer administered questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic, obstetric characteristics and folic acid usage of women.
resultAbout 48.4% of women took a folic acid supplement at different period of pregnancy; but, only 1.92% of women took the supplement at a protective period against neural tube defects. Age, the early timing of antenatal registration, was a preconception consulted, previous unsuccessful pregnancies and level of folic acid awareness were significantly associated with folic acid usage for prevention of neural tube defects.
conclusionsFolic acid usage during the protective period against neural tube defects among women in Ethiopia is very low, so healthcare plan to improve intake of folic acid is required.
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