Folic Acid Prevention Activities
The CDC, the March of Dimes, and the National Council on Folic Acid have
organized the National Folic Acid Campaign to promote the use of folic acid to
prevent the serious birth defects spina bifida and anencephaly. The goal is to
educate all women of reproductive age to consume 400 micrograms (0.4 mg) of
synthetic folic acid daily from vitamin supplements and/or fortified foods in
addition to eating a healthful diet.
The campaign targets all women of reproductive age, health care professionals,
and community advocacy groups. Among women of reproductive age, research
helped identify two target groups for the campaign: women planning a pregnancy
(“contemplators”) and those not planning a pregnancy (“non-contemplators”).
The “contemplators” generally fall in the 18-35 year old range and are
planning a pregnancy sometime in the next year or so. They would seriously
consider behavior changes that would improve pregnancy outcomes.
The biggest barrier for these women appears to be that they do not know when
folic acid is needed to be effective. Therefore, education about the
importance of folic acid before conception and in the first few months is
important.
The “non-contemplators” are harder to reach. These young women are usually
18-24 and are not planning to become pregnant. They are more resistant to
behaviors that improve pregnancy outcomes.
As 50% of all pregnancies are unplanned, it is important to raise
non-contemplators awareness about the benefit of taking multivitamins now in
order to reduce the risk for some serious birth defects in the future.
Date last reviewed: 09/29/2003
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