Competing to Lower the Odds
Folic Acid Intake Decreases Spina Bifida Birth Defect
October 22, 2008
By Cindy Brownstein
CEO, Spina Bifida Association
Image courtesy of National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities
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Not many mothers can say their child competes against some of the top athletes in the world and wins — from the seat of a wheelchair.
Deborah McFadden from Columbia, Md., can. Her 19-year-old daughter Tatyana is paralyzed from the waist down due to a congenital birth defect called Spina Bifida. Tatyana’s athleticism in track and field makes her a champion with two gold, one silver, and one bronze medal in 100-, 200-, and 800-meter dashes in the Paralympics. She holds the USA records in the 110m, 200m, 400m and 800m races, and she holds the world record in the 100m.
Spina Bifida is a life-long birth defect that occurs in the first month of pregnancy when the spine of a baby fails to close. The result often is paralysis and many other permanent problems. As people with Spina Bifida grow older, they develop various symptoms ranging from minor to severe. Spina Bifida can cause full or partial paralysis, neurological complications, bladder and bowel control difficulties, learning disabilities, depression, latex allergies, and social and sexual issues.
“Tatyana was abandoned by her mother and wasn’t supposed to live more than a couple of weeks after her birth,” says McFadden. “She was six when I adopted her. I knew she had Spina Bifida, but I also knew that she still had a good shot at a happy and healthy life once I could get her to America.”
Eight babies are born every day in the United States with Spina Bifida or a similar birth defect of the brain and spine, making Spina Bifida the most common, permanently disabling birth defect in the country. An estimated 70,000 to 130,000 people in the United States currently live with Spina Bifida.
“I raised Tatyana as any mother would raise her daughter,” says McFadden. “I didn’t treat her like she was different or unable to learn self-sufficiency. I knew from the moment I met her what she was capable of, and I wanted to support her.”
Unfortunately, many women of child-bearing age are unaware that up to 70 percent of cases involving Spina Bifida and other serious birth defects are preventable by taking a daily dose of 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid before pregnancy.
For this reason, the Spina Bifida Association is increasing its outreach to inform the public of the importance of folic acid. Folic acid is a B-vitamin that helps build healthy cells. During periods of rapid growth, such as pregnancy and fetal development, the body’s requirement for this vitamin increases. Because the body does not store very much folic acid, it is important to take a supplement to maintain both the baby’s and the mother’s health.
Every woman needs folic acid, especially when nearly half of all pregnancies are unplanned. In order to receive the optimal amount of folic acid, women of childbearing age should take a vitamin with 400 mcg of folic acid every day in addition to eating a healthy diet with foods that contain folate, such as orange juice.
Furthermore, women with an increased risk for Spina Bifida need to increase their intake of folic acid even higher to provide additional protection. This includes women with a child or sibling with Spina Bifida, or who experienced an affected pregnancy or an outside factor that might affect the pregnancy, or live with Spina Bifida themselves. If you fall into these categories, you should take 4,000 mcg of folic acid by prescription for one to three months before becoming pregnant and through the first three months of pregnancy.
“We’ll never know whether Tatyana’s birth mother took folic acid prior to her pregnancy,” says McFadden. “Many women do everything right during pregnancy, but because of genetics or environmental factors, many still bear children with birth defects. But we do know that folic acid drastically reduces the chances of Spina Bifida.”
In fact, recent studies show that men can help to prevent Spina Bifida by taking folic acid as well. Men with low folic acid levels are at an increased risk of having unhealthy sperm that also can cause genetic defects such as Spina Bifida. For this reason, it is suggested that adult men take 700 to 1,000 mcg of folic acid to increase sperm quality.
Despite her birth defect, Tatyana learned how to overcome the differences that set her apart from her peers.
“My love of sports started with swimming lessons when I was six because my mom said that all children should learn how to swim,” says Tatyana. “I must admit that I was first unsure but once I got into the water I loved it.”
Soon after, swim lessons turned into basketball, sled hockey, tennis, archery and wheelchair racing. Tatyana’s competitions took her around the world, where she competed in the Paralympics in Athens, Greece, among other places.
“Even though I’m only 19, I take folic acid every day,” says Tatyana. “I’m determined to teach others the importance of early prevention, as well as prove to the world that even with Spina Bifida, nothing can slow me down.”
Tatyana shows her support of the Spina Bifida Association by giving back to the community. She volunteers her time as a motivational speaker and provides athletic workshops for other youth with Spina Bifida to teach them how they too can compete and win.
Cindy Brownstein is the chief executive officer at the Spina Bifida Association (SBA). She joined the association in 2001, and leads the development and implementation of programs on a national level.
Local and National Spina Bifida Support
The Spina Bifida Association (SBA) serves adults and children who live with the challenges of Spina Bifida. Through its network of chapters, SBA has a presence in more than 125 communities nationwide and touches the lives of thousands of people each year.
Local chapters:
Spina Bifida Association of Chesapeake-Potomac in Maryland
Phone: (888) 733-0988
www.chesapeakespinabifida.org
Spina Bifida Association of the Roanoke Valley in Virginia
Phone: (540) 342-1231 ext. 4010
www.sbarv.org
Spina Bifida Association of the Tri-State Region in New Jersey
Phone: (908) 782-7475
www.sbatsr.org
National office:
Spina Bifida Association
Phone: (800) 621-3141
www.spinabifidaassociation.org
s...@sbaa.org
