On an average day in North Carolina, eight babies are born with a major birth defect. Neural Tube Defects, ( NTDs) are among the most common, serious and preventable birth defects that occur in the US. North Carolina has one of the highest incidences of NTDs in the country, with approximately one in 500 pregnancies being affected by an NTD annually. Of the babies born with NTDs, less than half survive. While national NTD rates are declining, the rates in North Carolina have not followed that trend (Source: NC Center for Health Statistics).
Folic Acid…it's the stuff healthy babies are made of.
It has been proven that taking the B-vitamin folic acid in the form of a vitamin supplement before conception and throughout pregnancy can help reduce the risk of an NTD-affected pregnancy by up to 70%. A growing body of evidence suggests that folic acid may help reduce the risk of cleft palate, congenital heart defects and possibly low birth weight/ prematurity. Additional research suggests that folic acid may also reduce a woman's risk for heart disease and certain cancers. The US Public Health Service recommends that all women of childbearing age consume 400 micrograms of folic acid everyday.
According to the 1998 March of Dimes/Gallup Poll Folic Acid survey, 68 percent of women surveyed had heard about folic acid but only 13 percent knew folic acid could help prevent birth defects, and only about seven percent knew folic acid should be taken before pregnancy. Data from the North Carolina Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System survey indicates that less than 25 percent of women take a vitamin with folic acid on a daily basis.
Folic acid is often labeled as folate on vitamin bottles and nutritional labels. Folic acid or folate can be found in its natural form in foods such as orange juice, dark-green leafy vegetables, beans and grains. Folic acid is also found in multi-vitamins, fortified breakfast cereals, and enriched grain products and is better absorbed by the body. A woman would need to consume 10-15 servings of fruits and vegetables a day to get the recommended 400mcg of folic acid a day through her diet-the average US intake of fruits and vegetables is 3.4 servings per day. The best way to get the recommended daily amount of folic acid is by taking a multivitamin containing folic acid every day.
It is estimated that 50 percent of all pregnancies in the US are unplanned. Since the neural tube closes during the first month of pregnancy, by the time a woman realizes she is pregnant and goes to see her physician, the critical period for NTD prevention through folic acid has passed. Any woman who is capable of becoming pregnant should be told about folic acid and its benefits, regardless of whether or not she is planning a pregnancy.
For more information, call the National March of Dimes Resource Center at (888) MO-DIMES. To learn more about the North Carolina Folic Acid Campaign, call the NC March of Dimes, (919)781-2481.
