Through the grant, pharmacy and medical students and faculty members will work with 25 teachers from those schools. They will put on curriculum development workshops to increase knowledge about folic acid. The goal, Baron says, is to reach Latino teen-agers in particular. Latinos in the United States have about twice as many birth defects, proportionately, than other ethnic groups, he says. Without getting into issues of birth control or sexual behavior, the USC instructors will discuss the importance of nutrition.
Folic acid is relatively inexpensive and often is included in multivitamin supplements.
The USC project already has held a workshop for local neighborhood pharmacists to instruct them on the value of folic acid and encourage them to talk to their clients about it. Birth defects usually occur within the first 28 days of a woman's pregnancy, but most women do not see a doctor until after that time period. So, by the time they usually start taking folic acid for pregnancy, it is too late to reap the beneficial effects of the vitamin on the fetus. And considering that one half of all pregnancies are unplanned, Baron says, taking folic acid regularly is a good idea. The vitamin also is important for overall wellness.