Key Nutrients Reduce Birth-Defect Risk
Eating a diet rich in choline and betaine before pregnancy can lower a woman’s risk of delivering a baby with a neural tube defect (NTD), reports the American Journal of Epidemiology (2004;160:102)
NTDs are serious birth defects that occur early in pregnancy. They include malformation of the brain (anencephaly), malformation of the lower spinal cord (spina bifida), and several others. Between 30 and 50% of NTDs are caused by maternal folic acid deficiency during the first few weeks of pregnancy, the time when the neural tube develops.
Other factors that have been shown to increase the risk of NTDs include high intake of sugar before and during the first trimester of pregnancy, maternal obesity, and maternal diabetes. NTDs occur in about 1 to 5 births per 1,000 worldwide; approximately 3,000 pregnancies in the US are affected by NTDs each year. Over the past decade, increased awareness, folic acid fortified cereals and grain products, and routine folic acid supplement recommendations have led to a decline in the number of cases of NTDs in the US.
In addition to folic acid, high intake of methionine (an amino acid), zinc, vitamin C, vitamin B12, and dairy foods have all been associated with a lower risk of NTDs.Choline, a nutrient used by the body in some of the same biochemical pathways as folic acid, is also used to produce acetylcholine, a major chemical messenger (neurotransmitter). Eggs, whole grains, wheat germ, and lecithin supplements are rich in choline.
In the body, betaine is made from choline; it is also found in high amounts in certain foods such as whole grains, spinach, and beets. Some animal studies have found that a choline deficiency can increase the risk of NTDs, but others have not. The effect of choline and betaine intake on NTD risk in humans has not previously been studied.In the current study, the pre-pregnancy diets of 424 mothers of babies with NTDs were compared with the diets of 460 mothers of babies without NTDs. Choline and betaine intake were estimated based on answers to questionnaires that the women completed about their habits and diet during the three months before their pregnancies. Babies of women with the highest choline intake had a 49% lower risk of NTDs than babies of women who had the lowest choline intake. Furthermore, babies of women with high intake of both choline and betaine were 72% less likely to have NTDs than were babies of women with the lowest intakes of both of these nutrients. Betaine intake alone did not significantly influence the risk of NTDs.
The results of this study are the first to show that eating foods rich in choline and betaine before pregnancy might reduce the risk of NTDs. More studies are needed to confirm these observations, and the effect of taking choline, betaine, or lecithin supplements on NTD risk should also be a focus of future research.
Stacey's comment
This is another study showing the importance of nutrition for the baby BEFORE conception to help ensure the health of the baby. Many women think they can just stop their "bad habits" when they find out they are pregnant and this will be okay. The truth is, what a women consumes before becoming pregnant can influence the health of the baby. Give your baby the best start in life by preparing your body for pregnancy with a diet high in vegetables, some fruit, low glycemic carbohydrates, balanced hormone free protein, and good essential fats. The Rosedale Diet by Dr. Ron Rosedale and the Total Health Cookbook and Program by Dr. Joseph Mercola are both excellent books for your reference. These books will help you obtain optimal health before pregnancy.
Supplement with the highest grade of supplements along with your diet to hopegfully create the healthiest eggs possible.
