Project Title: Identification of Environmental and Nutritional Risk Factors for Neural Tube Defects Along the California/Baja California Border

SCERP Project Number: EH99-1

Principal Investigator: Penelope J. E. Quintana

Task Manager's affiliation: San Diego State University

Goal: Efforts to address public health problems along the border are complicated by the absence of adequate environmental monitoring and health surveillance mechanisms to document the extent of these problems (Border XXI). The intent of this study is to address this particular issue. This study will be a continuation of the investigation of environmental and nutritional risk factors for neural tube defects (NTDs) along the California-Baja California border. The result will be the identification and establishment of a mechanism to collect data pertinent to environmental risk factors for NTDs. The purpose of this proposal is to continue the ongoing investigation of NTDs among women who live in a highly industrialized area of Tijuana, and to extend the investigation to other areas of Baja California. One of the aim is to complete the development of a validated questionnaire which will be used as a tool for future monitoring and surveillance in Baja California. Consenting obstetric patients in Hospital General and Seguro Social in Tijauna and Mexicali will be administered a questionnaire at delivery. Maternal venous and umbilical cord blood will be collected in addition to the placentae and measured for lead and other clinically and environmentally relevant exposures in order to validate the information obtained from the questionnaire. Previously, clinicians from the Medial School at Xochicalco in Tijuana observed an apparent high rate of NTDs among women who lived in the industrialized zone; first in the hospital and then, through a door-to-door survey conducted in an industrialized area of Tijuana. These physicians are concerned tha the perceived high rate of NTDs might relate to the environmental and occupational exposures experienced by the women. The Research Coordinator at Xochicalco contacted researchers at SDSU, which resulted in the epedemiologic division of the health departments both in Mexicali and Tijuana. In addition, the California Birth Defects Monitoring System is assisting with the collaboration. Specifically delineated with regard to specific geographic area. In addition, no formal birth defects monitoring program is established in Baja California. Thus, the proposed study seeks to: identify specific areas of Baja California at risk for anencephaly; assist in developing a birth defects monitoring system which identifies environmental risk factors for neural tube defects and other birth defects; and develop a validated questionnaire which can be used by the medical community and the risks associated with NTDs. This directly supports the goals of Border XXI and has the support of the CDC and the Birth Defects Monitoring System. The researchers include the staff of participating hospitals in Baja California; professors and students from SDSU, Xochicalco University, and UABC; and representatives of the health departments in Mexicali and Tijuana.

Last updated 3/8/00