Study into potential of vitamins to reduce birth defects

A UCL study is investigating whether food supplements other than folic acid could reduce the risk of birth defects. If women take folic acid in pregnancy it can reduce the chance of their baby having neural tube defects (spina bifida or anencephaly). Professor Andrew Copp, Director of the UCL Institute of Child Health, is leading research to find out whether the nutrient inositol could further lower the the risk of a birth defect, particularly in those cases where folic acid is not effective, as it can do in mice. The PONTI Study is a controlled randomised clinical trial in pregnant women - half the women receive folic acid plus inositol and half receive folic acid plus placebo. The intention is to see whether inositol and folic acid are more effective than folic acid alone in preventing these birth conditions. Professor Copp said: 'While all pregnant women should take folic acid it is known that some people, derive less benefit from it in reducing these defects.  (This may be because of their specific genetic inheritance. The study could therefore add very useful public health information and advice to the existing programme.' The trial is recruiting women.