Incidência de defeitos de fechamento de tubo neural no Brasil

Objective: to analyze the incidence of neural tube closure defects by Brazilian states and regions before and after the mandatory supplementation of folic acid to flour. Methods: public data available for access in the DATASUS SINASC database were used, corresponding to the period between 1999 and 2016, and 2002 was the start date of supplementation, in relation to the incidence of spina bifida in live births in the national territory. Results: It was observed that even after supplementing wheat and corn with folic acid, there was a slight increase in the number of cases of Espinha Bifida recorded in 7 Brazilian states and in the Federal District. In other states the number of cases has not changed. Conclusion: In the analyzed periods, the addition of folic acid to farinaceous products did not reduce the incidence of NTD in the national territory. It is suggested that the reduction in NTD numbers does not depend exclusively on dietary supplementation with folic acid, in view of the increase in the number of cases of spina bifida, albeit discreetly in several Brazilian states, and the need for public policies that reinforce the importance of including foods rich in folic acid and folate in the diet.