Hispanic Moms at a Higher Risk of Having Babies With Neural Tube Defects

The latest statistics for Hispanic Moms and babies reveal that these women are likely to deliver babies with neural tube birth defects for which unfortified corn masa is to be blamed.

The new report unveiled by The March of Dimes, a non-profit health organization, reveals that Hispanic women are more likely to have babies with neural tube birth defect as nearly a quarter of all the preemies in the U.S. are Hispanics. Through this report, the Global Ambassador of Thalia reaches out to Hispanic women about pregnancy health information as well as the resources available to them.

According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine National Institute of Health - Neural tube defects of brain, spine or spinal cord is Neural tube defects. Two most common neural tube defects are spina bifida and anencephaly. Even though the causes are not known, women who are obese and have poorly controlled diabetes or are taking anti-seizure medicines are at a higher risk of having an infant with neural tube defects. The risk of neural tube defects can be lowered by taking folic acid before and during pregnancy.

Hispanics is one of the fastest growing ethnic group in the U.S. as these women have babies each year than any other racial or ethnic group. Children born to these women have more serious birth defects of brain and spine - neural tube defects.

The researchers assume the disparity occurs due to lower intake of folic acid among the Hispanic women. Wheat flour in the U.S. is fortified with folic acid but corn masa flour, which is a staple diet, is not fortified with folic acid. Prior to pregnancy, the Hispanic women are less likely to consume a multivitamin containing folic acid as per the standard neonatal care.

"This is why the March of Dimes is striving to have masa cornmeal fortified with folate," said Dr. Diana Ramos, an associate clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine in Los Angeles. "Corn masa flour is not part of the standard American diet, so, since 2012, we've been working on this, making progress slowly."

Nationwide, nearly half a million babies are born and the preterm birth rate in the U.S. peaked in 2006 at 12.8 percent. In 2012, it dropped by 11.5 percent. Hispanic babies account for nearly one out of every four babies born preterm in the United States.

"We want women to know that there are things we can do to protect ourselves and our babies, like taking a multivitamin with folic acid before and during pregnancy," Thalia said in the statement. "There's nothing more important than the health of our babies."