Supplementation of the B vitamin folic acid in women before
conception and during early pregnancy has been shown to reduce
the occurrence of neural tube defects (NTDs) by at least 50-70%.
This collective evidence has led to a number of activities
around prevention of NTDs. In 1992, the U.S. Public Health
Service recommended that women of childbearing age consume 400
micrograms of folic acid per day for the purpose of reducing
their risk of having a pregnancy affected by an NTD.
Subsequently, in 1996, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
made it optional to fortify enriched grain products with folic
acid, and mandated fortification by 1998. Since 1995, the March
of Dimes has commissioned Gallup to conduct surveys to measure
women's awareness and behavior relative to folic acid and other
pre-pregnancy health issues. | ||Detailed data from March of
Dimes folic acid surveys are only available for the United
States. Quick facts for this information can be found here.| |
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