Knowledge and use of folic acid by women of childbearing age - United States, 1995

Article Abstract:

A small percentage of women of childbearing age appear to know that folic acid can reduce the risk of birth defects. The Gallup Organization conducted a survey for the March of Dimes over a two-month period. Only 9% of 2,010 women aged 18-45 years knew that folic acid may help prevent birth defects. Fifty-two percent had heard of folic acid, but 45% could not say what they had heard or read. Twenty-five percent of the surveyed women said they took a daily vitamin containing folic acid. Seventy-seven percent of the women surveyed said they ate at least one serving of breakfast cereal per week and most of the cereals contained some folic acid. Women of childbearing age should take a vitamin that contains 0.4 milligrams of folic acid or eat a breakfast cereal with an equal amount of folic acid.

Pregnant women

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Knowledge and use of folic acid by women of childbearing age - United States, 1997

Article Abstract:

More effort is needed to educate women of childbearing age that folic acid taken during pregnancy may lower the risk of neural tube abnormalities in their baby. Two such abnormalities are spina bifida and anencephaly, which occur in about 4,000 pregnancies in the US each year. Folic acid, which is a B vitamin, can reduce the risk by 50%. A 1997 survey of 2,001 women aged 18-45 found that 66% of the women had heard about folic acid but only 30% took a multivitamin containing folic acid. In 1995, the percentages were 52% and 25%, respectively. Women younger than 25 were least likely to take folic acid supplements.

Usage, Women, Dietary supplements

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Neural Tube Defect Surveillance and Folic Acid Intervention--Texas-Mexico Border, 1993-1998

Article Abstract:

The Texas Neural Tube Defect Project (TNTDP) shows that women of reproductive age who take folic acid supplements can lower the risk of neural tube defects in their babies. Neural tube defects occur when the spine does not close properly around the spinal cord. Spina bifida is the most well-known example. In 1992, the Texas Department of Health (TDH) implemented TNTDP in the 14 counties on the Texas-Mexico border after a cluster of neural tube defects occurred in Brownsville. Of 360 women who had a baby with a neural tube defect between 1993 and 1998, 94% were Hispanic.

Abnormalities, Texas, Neural tube, Neural tube defects

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