New folic acid seal helps women choose enriched grain foods to help prevent birth defectsJanuary 14, 2008Not enough American women understand that consuming the B vitamin folic acid every day can help prevent serious birth defects, and only 40 percent are taking daily multivitamin supplements containing this essential nutrient beginning before pregnancy, two recent surveys show. Daily consumption of folic acid beginning before pregnancy is crucial because birth defects of the brain and spine known as neural tube defects (NTDs), such as spina bifida, can occur in the early weeks following conception, often before a woman knows she is pregnant. In an effort to promote increased consumption of folic acid among women of childbearing age, the March of Dimes and the Grain Foods Foundation have created a new Folic Acid for a Healthy Pregnancy seal that will be featured on select products at retail to help women quickly and easily identify grain products, such as white bread, that are enriched with folic acid.
2008 marks the ten-year anniversary of folic acid fortification to enriched flour. Since the FDA issued the mandate in 1998, neural tube defects (NTDs), including spina bifida, have declined by 26 percent. However, according to the most recent March of Dimes/Gallup survey only 12 percent of women ages 18-45 know that folic acid should be consumed prior to pregnancy. In addition, the number of women taking multivitamin supplements containing folic acid beginning before pregnancy was only about 40 percent in 2007. "Unfortunately, most women don't realize they should have sufficient levels of folic acid in their bodies long before they consider having a baby," explained Judith Reichman, M.D., a gynecologist and one of the nation's leading medical voices on women's health issues. "Given the number of unplanned pregnancies, if women are sexually active, it is critical that they pay attention to their diet, take a daily multivitamin containing folic acid and consume folic acid-rich foods every day." "The Folic Acid for a Healthy Pregnancy seal will make is easier for women to choose foods that are healthy for them and their babies," said Dr. Jennifer L. Howse, president of the March of Dimes. "Folic acid is the most important vitamin women can take to help prevent serious birth defects of the brain and spine, and it's most important that they start taking it before they get pregnant and continue to take it after." According to the SRBI survey, two-thirds of women believe that whole wheat and multi-grain breads contain the most folic acid. Only 12 percent of women perceive enriched white bread as having high levels of folic acid, despite the fact that it actually has twice as much folic acid as whole grain or whole wheat bread. "These survey results demonstrate the need for women to better understand how to get specific nutrients through their diet," noted Judi Adams, MS, RD and president of the Grain Foods Foundation. "Enriched grains are an easy, inexpensive and delicious way for women to get essential vitamins such as folic acid." The March of Dimes urges all women of childbearing age to consume 400 micrograms of folic acid daily beginning before pregnancy and continuing into the early months of pregnancy. Bread, crackers, bagels, pasta, pretzels and tortillas made from fortified, enriched white flour are popular and important sources of folic acid. January is Birth Defects Prevention Month and January 7-13, 2008 marks Folic Acid Awareness Week. Both initiatives share the goal of increasing awareness of the importance of folic acid in preventing birth defects. Survey Methodologies Schulman, Ronca & Bucuvalas, Inc. (SRBI) fielded the study on behalf of Grain Foods Foundation from October 17-22, 2007, using SRBI's national in-house telephone center. A total of 602 interviews were conducted with women between the ages of 18-54 (300 Hispanic, 302 non-Hispanic). A sample this size yields a 95% confidence level with a margin of error +/- 4.1%. When using the sub-quotas of 300, the data has a 95% confidence level with a range of error of +/- 5.5%. March of Dimes Foundation Science News and Science Current Events Tag Cloud This tag cloud is a visual representation of term frequencies of random science news topics with common terms grouped together and emphasized by their display size. Huntington's disease Anxiety disorder Blood Thinner Botulinum Neurotoxin Frogs Caesarean Visual System Volcano Binge Drinking Substance Abuse Brain function Bisphosphonates Hubble Space Telescope Whales Electronics Smoking Arctic sea ice Anthrax Puberty Mass Extinction Endangered Species Phytoplankton Cistic Fibrosis Food Safety Chimpanzee
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Related Folic Acid Current Events and Folic Acid News Articles UCF researcher's nanoparticles could someday lead to end of chemotherapy Nanoparticles specially engineered by University of Central Florida Assistant Professor J. Manuel Perez and his colleagues could someday target and destroy tumors, sparing patients from toxic, whole-body chemotherapies. Some neural tube defects in mice linked to enzyme deficiency Women of childbearing age can reduce the risk of having a child born with a neural tube defect such as spina bifida by eating enough folate or folic acid. However, folate prevents only about 70 percent of these defects. Folic acid to prevent congenital heart defects The Canadian policy of fortifying grain products with folic acid has already proved to be effective in preventing neural tube defects. Taking folic acid for a year before pregnancy may reduce risk of preterm birth Women who take folic acid supplements for at least one year before they become pregnant may cut their risk of having a premature baby by half, according to research published this week in the online journal, PLoS Medicine. Hopkins Children's study: Folic acid may help treat allergies, asthma Folic acid, or vitamin B9, essential for red blood cell health and long known to reduce the risk of spinal birth defects, may also suppress allergic reactions and lessen the severity of allergy and asthma symptoms. Immigrant women may be at higher risk of having a baby with a birth defect Immigrant women are less likely to use folic acid supplements before pregnancy to prevent spina bifida, particularly those who recently immigrated to the country, according to a new study led by a St. Michael's Hospital physician in collaboration with Statistics Canada, Health Canada and the University of Toronto. Pregnant women who smoke, urged to give up before 15-week 'deadline' Women who stop smoking before week 15 of pregnancy cut their risk of spontaneous premature birth and having small babies to the same as non-smokers, according to research published on bmj.com today. Low levels of vitamin B12 may increase risk for neural tube defects Children born to women who have low blood levels of vitamin B12 shortly before and after conception may have an increased risk of a neural tube defect, according to an analysis by researchers at the National Institutes of Health, Trinity College Dublin, and the Health Research Board of Ireland. Scientists discover why teeth form in a single row A system of opposing genetic forces determines why mammals develop a single row of teeth, while sharks sport several, according to a study published today in the journal Science. When completely understood, the genetic program described in the study may help guide efforts to re-grow missing teeth and prevent cleft palate, one of the most common birth defects. Children with inflammatory bowel disease have surprisingly high folate levels, study finds Children with newly diagnosed cases of inflammatory bowel disease have higher concentrations of folate in their blood than individuals without IBD, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco and UC Berkeley. More Folic Acid Current Events and Folic Acid News Articles |
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