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Neural Tube Defects in Australia and Food Fortification with Folic Acid

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Handbook of Food Fortification and Health

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Abstract

A review of Australian data on neural tube defects (NTD) from 1942 to 1981, published in 1984 [1], reported total NTD rates ranging from 0.8 per 1,000 births to 2.7 per 1,000, with the rates for anencephaly similar to those for spina bifida. For the four states that provided data by year of birth from 1975 to 1981 (New South Wales, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia), there was a decline in NTD rates from around 2 per 1,000 or more to 1.6 per 1,000 or less [1].

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Abbreviations

FSANZ:

Food Standards Australia New Zealand

NTD:

Neural tube defects

NHMRC:

National Health and Medical Research Council

References

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Correspondence to Carol Bower .

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Bower, C., Halliday, J. (2013). Neural Tube Defects in Australia and Food Fortification with Folic Acid. In: Preedy, V., Srirajaskanthan, R., Patel, V. (eds) Handbook of Food Fortification and Health. Nutrition and Health. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7110-3_28

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7110-3_28

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