Balanced diet for mother reduces risk of spina bifida in baby

In his doctoral thesis, Dutch researcher Dr. Pascal Groenen investigated how different nutritional components in a pregnant mother's diet affected the risk of her baby developing spina bifida, an abnormality of the central nervous system. Low concentrations of myo-inositol, zinc, or vitamin B12 in the blood were associated with increased risk of having a child with spina bifida. It is known that folic acid supplementation in pregnant women is associated with reduced risk of spina bifida in their children, but Dr. Groenen's research demonstrates that other nutrients also play a role in prevention of the defect. The original news release from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research can be read here.