On the Neurosurgery Blog, you will see us cross-posting or linking to items from other places when we believe they may interest our readers. We wanted to bring to your attention a recent article featuring Michael J. Feldman, MD, a pediatric neurosurgery fellow at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a former American Association of Neurological Surgeons/Congress of Neurological Surgeons Washington Committee alternate resident fellow. Dr. Feldman is leading efforts to reduce spina bifida rates in Alabama’s Hispanic community through folic acid fortification of corn masa flour.
Spina bifida can lead to significant disabilities, paralysis, and even infant mortality. Adequate maternal folic acid intake before and during early pregnancy can have a significant impact on decreasing the occurrence of spina bifida. Since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) mandated folic acid fortification for enriched cereal grains in the late 1990s, the incidence of spina bifida has declined in populations consuming these grains. However, corn masa flour, a staple in the Hispanic diet, was excluded from this mandate, leaving a significant gap in preventive health measures for this community.
To address this disparity, Dr. Feldman has collaborated with various organizations to form action groups advocating for federal legislative change. These groups are working diligently to draft and promote bills that would mandate the fortification of corn masa flour in Alabama. Dr. Feldman is also working with the state’s senators, Katie Britt (R-Ala.) and Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), to advocate for federal policies and has met with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra to discuss the implementation of an FDA citizen petition that would require all corn masa products to be labeled if they are not fortified with folic acid.
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