Department of Health Management and Policy, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA.
Oral Dis. 2010 Jan;16(1):11-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1601-0825.2009.01587.x.
Orofacial clefts are common and burdensome birth defects with a complex genetic and environmental etiology. The contribution of nutritional factors and supplements to the etiology of orofacial clefts has long been theorized and studied. Multiple studies have evaluated the role of folic acid in the occurrence and recurrence of orofacial clefts, using observational and non-randomized interventional designs. While preventive effects of folic acid on orofacial clefts are commonly reported, the evidence remains generally inconsistent. This paper reviews the findings of the main studies of the effects of folic acid on orofacial clefts, summarizes study limitations, and discusses research needs with a focus on studying the effects of high dosage folic acid on the recurrence of oral clefts using a randomized clinical trial design. The role of folic acid in the prevention of neural tube defects is also briefly summarized and discussed as a reference model for orofacial clefts.
口腔颌面裂是一种常见且严重的出生缺陷，其病因具有复杂的遗传和环境因素。长期以来，人们一直推测并研究营养因素和补充剂对口腔颌面裂病因的影响。多项研究使用观察性和非随机干预性设计，评估了叶酸在口腔颌面裂发生和复发中的作用。虽然普遍报告了叶酸对口腔颌面裂的预防作用，但证据仍然不一致。本文综述了主要研究叶酸对口腔颌面裂影响的结果，总结了研究局限性，并讨论了研究需求，重点是使用随机临床试验设计研究高剂量叶酸对口腔裂复发的影响。本文还简要总结和讨论了叶酸在预防神经管缺陷中的作用，作为口腔颌面裂的参考模型。
