According to the U.S. National
Library of Medicine (NLM, 2013), besides inadequate amount of folate before
conception, poor management of diabetes is a risk factor for having a child with
birth defects known as neural tube defect.
The most common neural tube defects include spina bifida and anencephaly.
Spina bifida occurs when the spinal cord
fails to close as it develops within the first 30 days of gestation (Spina
Bifida, 2007). Lack of spinal cord
closure affects nerve impulse transmission to the lower body part, causing muscle
weakness or paralysis (Spina Bifida, 2007).
This condition is also known as paraplegia and lasts for a
lifetime. The other birth defect,
anencephaly, occurs when the infant is born without a brain (Anencephaly,
2010). Infants born with spina bifida
defects usually survive, but those born with anencephaly do not survive (Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2012). Although the mechanism through which poorly
controlled diabetes increases the risk of neural tube defect is not clearly
established, researchers investigated 23 single nucleotides and found an
association between the mother’s genes and the child’s susceptibility of
developing neural tube defect (Lupo et al., 2012)
References
Anencephaly.
(2010). In Black’s Medical Dictionary,
(42nd ed.). Retrieved from
http://ezproxy.twu.edu:2134/entry/blackmed/anencephaly
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2012b).
Folic acid for healthy babies.
Retrieved
from
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/orders/pdfs/GeneralPublic_Fact_Sheet508.pdf
Lupo et al. (2012). Diabetes and obesity-related
genes and the risk of neural tube defect. American
Journal of Epidemiology, 176, 1101-1109.
Retrieved from
http://ezproxy.twu.edu:2835/content/176/12/1101
Spina Bifida. (2007). In Encyclopedia of Special Education: A reference for the education of children,
adolescents, and adults with disabilities and other
exceptional individuals.
Retrieved from http://ezproxy.twu.edu:2134/entry/wileyse/spina_bifida
Ahondju,
ReplyDeleteThis is very interesting information on neural tube defects. I knew that folic acid taken prior to and during your pregnancy greatly reduces your risk of giving birth to a child with spina bifida or other neural tube defects. I didn’t know being obese, having poorly controlled diabetes, or taking certain antiseizure medications put you at risk. According to the National Institute of Health (2012) maternal hypothermia, during the first 4 to 6 weeks of pregnancy also may cause miscarriages and neural tube defects. Hence, that is why we see the signs warning pregnant women not to use hot tubs and saunas.
References
National Institute of Health. National Institute of Child Health and Human
Development, (2012). What causes neural tube defects?
Retrieved from National Institute of Health website:
http://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/ntds/conditioninfo/pages/causes.aspx