For more than 10 years, doctors have urged their pregnant patients to take folic acid to prevent birth defects - and a new study shows Utah women are heeding that advice.
Since the Utah Department of Health, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other groups launched a folic acid awareness campaign in 1992, the number of neural tube defects affecting the brain and spine has dropped by more than 50 percent in Utah.
In 1992, nearly 12 of every 10,000 Utah babies were born with a neural tube defect. The rate declined to 5.2 in 2003, translating to 30 to 35 healthy babies who otherwise may have been born with a serious birth defect, such as anencephaly and spina bifida.
Health department officials attribute the improvement to more women taking folic acid supplements before pregnancy, ongoing public education programs and the addition of folic acid to food products.
Source
Since the Utah Department of Health, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other groups launched a folic acid awareness campaign in 1992, the number of neural tube defects affecting the brain and spine has dropped by more than 50 percent in Utah.
In 1992, nearly 12 of every 10,000 Utah babies were born with a neural tube defect. The rate declined to 5.2 in 2003, translating to 30 to 35 healthy babies who otherwise may have been born with a serious birth defect, such as anencephaly and spina bifida.
Health department officials attribute the improvement to more women taking folic acid supplements before pregnancy, ongoing public education programs and the addition of folic acid to food products.
Source