The number of women of childbearing age who know they should take folic acid to prevent birth defects has risen sharply in the last few years. But that rise is far from satisfactory to health officials, because so few women knew of folic acid's benefits to begin with. Only 13 percent know it can ward off birth defects. In a similar study done in 1995, only 5 percent of women knew of folic acid's benefits and just 2 percent knew it needed to be taken before pregnancy. The bad news is that this is still news to women.
Officials hope to inspire changes soon.
The March of Dimes kicked off a campaign of its own last winter with a provocative television announcement equating not taking folic acid to allowing a baby to crawl out into traffic. This one will be more subdued and will start on Mother's Day. About 4,000 pregnancies have neural tube defects that lead to spina bifida, a crippling opening in the spinal cord, and anencephaly, a fatal absence of the brain. Studies have shown that taking 400 micrograms a day of folic acid, a B vitamin also known as folate, can cut those defects by as much as 70 percent. The campaign will target health care providers, as well as women.