August 20/NewsRx Science -- Research published online in the journal Epidemiology found that higher levels of total blood choline are associated with a 2.5-fold reduction in risk for neural tube birth defects (NTDs). NTDs are birth defects of the brain and spinal cord, and the two most common NTDs are spina bifida and anencephaly. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), an estimated 3,000 pregnancies in the U.S. are affected by NTDs each year. This study adds to the growing body of evidence demonstrating the important role of choline in fetal development.
Study Findings The Epidemiology study investigated blood samples from more than 180,000 pregnant women and found 80 cases of NTDs. Researchers compared the blood samples to samples from 409 controls without birth defects and examined the specimens for markers including choline, folate, homocysteine, methionine and betaine among others. The researchers observed: a 2.5-fold reduction in risk for NTDs, with the highest blood choline levels no other significant differences between the two study groups for any of the other blood markers