美国CDC建议每日分5次摄入富含天然叶酸的水果及蔬菜,全体育龄妇女每日额外摄入400μg (0.4mg)叶酸。[46]Centers for Disease Control. Recommendations for the use of folic acid to reduce the number of cases of spina bifida and other neural tube defects. MMWR Recomm Rep. 1992;41(RR-14):1-7.http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00019479.htmhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1522835?tool=bestpractice.com美国预防服务执行部门将每日额外叶酸摄入量具体规定为0.4~0.8mg以预防神经管缺陷。[44]US Preventive Services Task Force. Folic acid for the prevention of neural tube defects: US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement. Ann Intern Med. 2009;150:626-631.http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=744473http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19414842?tool=bestpractice.com每日额外补充叶酸可减少70%以上的脊柱裂及其他神经管缺陷风险。[56]Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Spina bifida and anencephaly before and after folic acid mandate - United States, 1995-1996 and 1999-2000. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2004;53:362-365.http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5317a3.htmhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15129193?tool=bestpractice.com然而在2007年,经报道证实只有40%的受访妇女每日额外补充叶酸。[8]Olney RS, Mulinare J. Trends in neural tube defect prevalence, folic acid supplementation, and vitamin supplement use. Semin Perinatol. 2002;26:277-285.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12211618?tool=bestpractice.com
强化小麦及玉米等主食在人群范围内可更有效地进行预防,并且在美国、加拿大、智力及南非成功实施。美国食品药品监督管理局于 1998 年要求强化食用富含叶酸的谷物制品(140 μg /100 g 谷物),以此将美国妇女叶酸的摄入量增加至每日平均 100 μg。在1999~ 2000年间,上述措施将神经管缺陷发生率降低了26%。[9]Lary JM, Edmonds LD. Prevalence of spina bifida at birth - United States, 1983-1990: a comparison of two surveillance systems. MMWR CDC Surveill Summ. 1996;45:15-26.http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00040954.htmhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8602137?tool=bestpractice.com[17]Bell KN, Oakley GP Jr. Update on prevention of folic acid-preventable spina bifida and anencephaly. Birth Defects Res A Clin Mol Teratol. 2009;85:102-107.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19067404?tool=bestpractice.com尽管肥胖趋势在加强,在2003~2005年间,新生儿脊柱裂总体发生率再度下降6.9%。[6]Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Racial/ethnic differences in the birth prevalence of spina bifida - United States, 1995-2005. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2009;57:1409-1413.http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5753a2.htmhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19129744?tool=bestpractice.com经玉米制品强化叶酸摄入可进一步降低脊柱裂发生率,在西班牙裔幼儿中尤为明显。叶酸强化摄入的优点常见诸报道,经饮食强化叶酸摄入后减少新生儿神经管缺陷:荟萃分析8个观察性研究,研究均以人群为基础,检测经饮食叶酸强化情况,获得的中等质量证据显示,对人群进行100%叶酸强化摄入将神经管缺陷发生率降低50%,并将在低收入国家减少13%因先天性异常表现造成的新生儿死亡。[57]Blencowe H, Cousens S, Modell B, et al. Folic acid to reduce neonatal mortality from
neural tube disorders. Int J Epidemiol. 2010;39(suppl 1):i110-i121.http://ije.oxfordjournals.org/content/39/suppl_1/i110.longhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20348114?tool=bestpractice.com受试者<200名的随机对照临床试验(RCT)、受试者>200名且方法学存在缺陷的随机对照临床试验(RCT)、方法学存在缺陷的系统评价或者高质量的观察性(队列)研究。关于其掩盖维生素B12缺乏及高水平叶酸摄入可能增加结肠癌发病风险仍有争议。[58]Weggemans RM, Schaafsma G, Kromhout D, et al. Toward an optimal use of folic acid: an advisory report of the Health Council of the Netherlands. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2009;63:1034-1036.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19209186?tool=bestpractice.com叶酸强化摄入目前仍局限于少数国家。
既往曾有神经管缺陷妊娠,或本身罹患脊柱裂的妇女,其再次妊娠娩出神经管缺陷患儿的风险较正常人增加了30倍。上述风险可经额外补充高剂量叶酸得到显著降低(由3%至<1%)。[45]MRC Vitamin Study Research Group. Prevention of neural tube defects: results of the Medical Research Council Vitamin Study. Lancet. 1991;338:131-137.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1677062?tool=bestpractice.com[59]Mills JL, Signore CC. Folic acid and the prevention of neural tube defects. N Engl J Med. 2004;350:2209-2211.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15152070?tool=bestpractice.com美国CDC建议于妊娠开始前1个月起每日额外经饮食摄入4mg叶酸至妊娠第3个月。[46]Centers for Disease Control. Recommendations for the use of folic acid to reduce the number of cases of spina bifida and other neural tube defects. MMWR Recomm Rep. 1992;41(RR-14):1-7.http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00019479.htmhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1522835?tool=bestpractice.com