Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41181492›Full record

ArticleAnnals of medicine and surgery (2012)2025

Preventing spina bifida in low- and middle-income countries: bridging gaps through folic acid fortification and policy reform.

Medha Kapildev Vatse, Vishal Chavda, Yam Bahadur Roka, Bipin Chaurasia

Abstract readEditorial
In one paragraph

Article in Annals of medicine and surgery (2012), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Prevalence of neural tube defects (NTDs) and associated factors in Sub-Saharan Africa.Child's nervous system : ChNS : official journal of the International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery · 2026
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Medha Kapildev VatseKalinga Institute of Medical Sciences, Odisha, India.
Vishal ChavdaDepartment of Medicine and Critical Care, Multispecialty Trauma and ICCU Centre, Ahmedabad, Gujrat, India.
Yam Bahadur RokaDepartment of Neurosurgery, Gandaki Medical College, Pokhara, Nepal.
Bipin ChaurasiaDepartment of Neurosurgery, College of Medical Sciences, Bharatpur, Nepal.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8392-2072

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Spina bifida remains a major preventable cause of neonatal morbidity in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Its high prevalence is driven by folic acid deficiency, poor antenatal care, and inadequate health systems. Objective: This editorial highlights the urgency of preventive strategies, particularly folic acid supplementation and fortification, while addressing cultural and logistical barriers in LMICs. Conclusion: National-level mandatory folic acid fortification, expanded antenatal care, and culturally tailored awareness initiatives are essential to reduce the burden of spina bifida globally.

Indexed as

folic acidfood fortificationLMICsmaternal healthNepalneural tube defectsprenatal carespina bifida

Identifiers

PMID41181492
PMCPMC12578125

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

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.