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All the flour needs to be fortified with folic acid after the ministers have lined up behind a plan that, according to medical experts, will reduce the number of babies born in the UK with serious birth defects, the Guardian may reveal.
The policy, which will be introduced in a few weeks, comes after their own minister's advisers convinced the minister that it would reduce the risk of spina bifida and other illnesses leading to serious disability or death.
Until now, successive government ministers have ignored repeated calls for the mandatory enrichment of folic fortification.
Downing Street has approved the change after a long campaign led by doctors, scientists and health advocates for babies, Whitehall sources said. Theresa May, who was opposed, was persuaded to change her mind, said a senior official.
Medical groups and health charities welcomed the decision.
"Mandatory fortification will be a driver of change for the UK," said Kate Steele, executive director of the Shine charity, which helps families affected by neural tube defects (at birth).
"The government's decision to introduce mandatory fortification will have a major positive impact on the health and well-being of babies born in the future. In many cases, it will be the difference between life and death. "
Many governments, NHSs and advisory bodies support fortification, which is already practiced in more than 80 countries, including the United States.
The movement is also supported by Royal Colleges of Medicine, including those representing the health professionals of babies and children – obstetricians and gynecologists, pediatricians and midwives. In the United States, it is estimated that neural tube defects have been reduced by 23% since the introduction of folic fortification into flour in 1998.
It is estimated that taking enough folic acid during pregnancy reduces the risk of NTDs by up to 70%, such as anencephaly, a deadly disease in which the fetus develops without a significant portion of the brain, skull, and scalp. and dies in utero or shortly after birth.
It is estimated that two women a day in the UK suffer an abortion because doctors have identified an MTN and that two children a week are born with an MTN, often spina bifida, which means that they will have to use an armchair rolling.
Britain would have the highest rate of neglected tropical diseases in Europe. A major academic study conducted in 2015 estimated that in 2000, 2,000 fewer babies in Britain would be born with an MTN if the government had introduced folic fortification of flour.
Until now, it is advisable for pregnant or expectant British women to have a child taking folic acid supplements to increase their consumption of folic acid, an approach that the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (RCOG) deems ineffective.
The official advice is a daily supplement of 400 micrograms of folic acid when trying to get pregnant until the 12th week of pregnancy. But many women, especially those living in poorer households, do not take enough.
Dan Poulter, Conservative MP and former Health Minister and NHS doctor, congratulated the government for finally deciding to introduce mandatory fortification of flour.
"It is good to see that medical evidence has prevailed over political considerations and that the health of mothers and their babies has made it possible to defeat the already successful attempts of interested companies to complain to the government about the regulatory burden and the costs involved. result for companies. What matters is the life and health of babies. "
Steve Brine, Minister of Public Health, Ministry of Health and Social Affairs, pleads for fortification at Whitehall. Public Health England recently told ministers that this initiative would be an important step towards improving the health of babies.
Owen Smith of Labor and Lord Rooker, former chair of the Food Standards Agency, also lobbied ministers. The same goes for Nigel Dodds of DUP, whose son Andrew had spina bifida and hydrocephalus. Andrew died at the age of nine in 1998.
A study published in January was widely accepted as refuting the concern that enrichment was likely to consume more than one milligram of folate per day, which could be dangerous in itself. The Committee for the Toxicology of Chemicals in Foods, Consumer Products and the Environment, which advises the FSA, has analyzed the issue and is expected to report soon, after which the ministers are likely to unveil the fortification policy.
Dr. Alison Tedstone, chief nutritionist at PHE, said, "Three-quarters of women ages 16 to 49 years have folic acid levels lower than the new World Health Organization recommendation. for pregnant women. Fortifying flour with folic acid is an effective and safe measure to reduce the number of pregnancies affected by neural tube defects. "
Prof. Lesley Regan, president of RCOG, said that she "would welcome the introduction of mandatory fortification in the UK, with appropriate safeguards, such as health checks." voluntary enrichment by the food industry and better guidelines on the use of supplements.
Anne Heughan, a board member of the Royal Society of Public Health, said, "This public health fortification measure is long overdue and would allow the UK to align with many others. country".
A spokeswoman for the DHSC said: "Ministers plan to call in experts and react in due course."
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