title: Dietary intake of choline and neural tube defects in Mexican Americans.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Low maternal intake of dietary choline and betaine (a choline derivative) has recently been investigated as a possible risk factor for neural tube defects (NTDs).
  
  
  METHODS
  This case-control study examined the NTD risk associated with choline and betaine in 409 Mexican-American women who gave birth during 1995 to 2000 in the 14-county border region of Texas.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Using data from the food frequency questionnaire and the lowest quartiles of intake as the reference categories, a protective association was suggested between higher intakes of choline and betaine and NTD risk although the 95% confidence intervals for all risk estimates included 1.0. For choline intake in the second, third, and fourth quartiles, adjusted odds ratios were 1.2, 0.80, and 0.89, respectively. Betaine appeared more protective with odds ratios of 0.62, 0.73, and 0.61, respectively, for the second, third, and fourth quartiles of intake.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Study findings suggest that dietary betaine may help to prevent NTDs.
authors.affiliation: College of Health Professions and Social Work, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Texas A&M Health Science Center, School of Rural Public Health, College Station, Texas.
authors.forename: Amy M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Lavery
authors.forename: Jean D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Brender
authors.forename: Hongwei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sweeney
authors.forename: Marilyn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Felkner
authors.forename: Lucina
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Suarez
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Canfield
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001622:Betaine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002794:Choline / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017058:Mexican Americans; D009436:Neural Tube Defects / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011247:Pregnancy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013781:Texas / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D001622:Betaine; D002794:Choline
keywords: Texas Neural Tube Defect Project; betaine; birth defects; choline; neural tube defects