Folate status and health: Preventable spina bifida and anencephaly in Europe/Germany

Objective: Fortification with folic acid has lowered the prevalence of neural tube defects (NTDs) in 70 countries. The absence of this strategy in Europe causes 5000 affected births yearly, while 50% of the cases are preventable. We aimed at investigating the number of NTDs in a representative sample of the European population and estimate the economic burden in Germany. Methods: We used the European Surveillance of Congenital Anomalies (EUROCAT) to estimate the prevalence of spina bifida and anencephaly per 10,000 births in member countries between 2000 and 2010. We conducted costs estimations and cost-saving p…