- The ARC - California Edition -

Folate -- Is the Word Getting Out?

In order to protect unborn babies against birth defects, the federal government has been formally recommending that all women capable of becoming pregnant consume 400 micrograms of folate every day. Folate (in pill form, it is called Folic Acid) is known to reduce the risk of spinal and brain defects by at least 50% when this B-vitamin is consumed before conception and during early pregnancy.

It has been five years now since the FDA started disseminating this advice. The question is: Is the public getting the message?

The March of Dimes not too long ago released the results of a survey of women aged 18 to 45 which apparently shows that this FDA advice is not being followed.

66% of those surveyed had heard of folic acid
22% knew about the government recommendation
11% knew that folic acid helps prevent birth defects
6% knew that it should be taken BEFORE pregnancy

These numbers are only slightly higher than a similar survey conducted two years ago. The good news is that 30% of non-pregnant women surveyed were taking multivitamins which contained folic acid. However, this was confusing as only 23% of the pregnant women in the survey reported that they took such multivitamins BEFORE they became pregnant.

CONCLUSION: The message IS NOT GETTING OUT ! ! ! Do your bit. Work with your Arc chapter newsletter editor and design an ad with the message about Folate (see below). Get the word out to your readers ! ! Think prevention, think FOLA T E ! !

If You Think You Might Have a Baby Some Day

Think Folate

Folate, or folic acid, is a B-vitamin that can help reduce the risk of some common birth defects. These birth defects can occur in the first weeks of pregnancy, before a woman may realize she's pregnant. For that reason, all women of childbearing age (15 to 45) should eat a diet that provides plenty of folate.

Good sources of folate are enriched breads, pasta, and grains (such as rice); fortified cereals and dark-green leafy vegetables; citrus fruits and juices; and dietary supplements.