Arsenic Exposure and Spina Bifida: Sparking Health Policy Changes in Bangladesh

Bangladesh has large populations with high levels of exposure to arsenic-contaminated drinking water. Arsenic toxicity is associated with significant health conditions including spina bifida, diabetes, and lung disease. Dr. Maitreyi Mazumdar began working with Dhaka Community Hospital (DCH) in 2009 as part of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health's Superfund research program to understand how prenatal exposure to arsenic affects the neurodevelopment of children in Bangladesh. While conducting these studies, she saw many children with spina bifida and wondered if the high arsenic in the area contributed to the high rates of this disease. With DCH, and later with the Bangladesh National Institute of Neurosciences and Hospital (NINS), Dr. Mazumdar started large case-control studies to investigate the association between arsenic and spina bifida. In June 2024, collaborators' scientific presentations of this research helped convince the Bangladesh Health Ministry to pass 7 resolutions related to folate and spina bifida. They include recommendations for dietary standards of folate, a national surveillance program and a media campaign. These are important steps that may lead to future folic acid fortification of the food supply.