ReviewPublic health nutrition2024
Status of prevention of neural tube defects post-folic acid fortification of cereal grains in South Africa.
Review in Public health nutrition, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Maternal Folic Acid Supplementation and Neural Tube Defects in Northeast Iran: Insights for Developing Countries.Pediatric health, medicine and therapeutics · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveNeural tube defects (NTD) are serious, life-threatening birth defects. Staple food fortification with folic acid (vitamin B
designFortification effectiveness data in SA were reviewed using published studies and national reports on NTD birth prevalence pre- and post-folic acid fortification. Current folic acid fortification regulations in SA were evaluated by experts.
settingRegulations were assessed using national health guidelines, legislation and regulations. NTD birth prevalence data were sourced from the published literature.
participantsNone.
resultsSignificant reductions in the birth prevalence of spina bifida and anencephaly and improved maternal folate levels have been achieved following the introduction of folic acid fortification in SA. However, there is poor overall regulatory compliance in some instances and a gap in current regulations that excludes the fortification of cake flour in SA.
conclusionsWhile the SA NTD birth prevalence has decreased by 30% post-fortification, the regulatory exclusion of cake flour fortification is a significant and growing issue. Proposed 2016 regulatory amendments to address this gap urgently require finalisation and enactment by government to prevent negating benefits achieved to date and to ensure continued improvement. Fortification monitoring requires strengthening to ensure widespread compliance with policies, particularly in underserved areas.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.