http://www.dailyherald.com/story.asp?id=137711

Krishnamurthy
Daily Herald Staff Writer
Posted Saturday, December 31, 2005

State health officials troubled by high rates of brain defects among newborns, particularly Hispanics, are asking county health departments to do preventive education.

Rates of neural tube defects among all newborns in Cook, DuPage, Kane, and McHenry counties surpassed the state average from 1998 through 2002, according to a state health department report. Lake, DuPage, McHenry and Cook exceeded the state average in defect rates for Hispanic babies during the same period.

Neural tube birth defects may occur if a mother does not take enough folic acid â€â€