Birth prevalence of neural tube defects in eastern Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Neural tube defects (NTDs) are associated with high rates of neonatal mortality and morbidity worldwide. The promotion of folic acid fortification and supplementation in pregnant women by the Food and Drug Administration significantly decreased the incidence of NTDs in the United States. This practice is not widely adopted in Eastern Africa countries. We hypothesized that these countries experience a higher burden of NTDs than countries that promote the use of folic acid. We aimed to estimate the birth prevalence of NTDs in the United Nations (UN) Eastern African region.

Methods

PubMed (Medline), Embase, and Cochrane Library databases were systematically searched from inception to December 17, 2021. We included randomized controlled trials or observational studies

SUBMITTER: Ssentongo P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9158202 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature