Public Health Department Encourages
Use of Folic Acid to Prevent Birth Defects
Folic acid, a B vitamin, is needed for the growth and repair of cells in the body. It is important for overall health. Many women do not know that it is also an important way to prevent certain birth defects. It can help prevent birth defects of the brain and spine in the baby if a woman starts taking it several months before getting pregnant.
Dr. Dean Kelaita, County Health Officer, stated, “Folic acid is a proven way to improve birth outcomes.” It should be included in a woman’s diet every day. Folic acid is found in fortified cereals or it can be taken as a daily vitamin. B vitamins do not require a prescription and can be found in most drug stores and markets in the area. Taking folic acid is a very low cost way to reduce the risk of potentially serious birth defects.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that all women of childbearing age (18-44 years) take 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid a day. Women not planning to become pregnant also need folic acid because pregnancies are not always planned. Serious birth defects can develop before a woman knows she is pregnant. “Taking folic acid daily can reduce the risk of having a child born with a brain or spinal cord defect by 50 to 70 percent,” stated Dr. Kelaita.
To learn more about folic acid, call the Maternal Child and Adolescent Health Program, Calaveras County Public Health Department at 754-6460. Additional information is available at the California Department of Public Health at
http://www.everywomancalifornia.org/
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