Governor Proclaims MAY 9-15 “Folic Acid Awareness Week”
| LITTLE ROCK – Governor Mike Huckabee has proclaimed the week of May 9-15, 2004, “Folic Acid Awareness Week” in the State of Arkansas.
In issuing the proclamation, Huckabee said research shows that by taking a multivitamin containing 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid daily, and eating foods rich in folate, women may be able to prevent neural tube birth defects (NTDs) , such as spina bifida, in their unborn children.
Each year 2,500 to 3,000 babies are born in the United States with serious birth defects of the brain and spine, called NTDs. The most common NTD is spina bifida, a leading cause of childhood paralysis. We can expect as many as 26 babies to be born in Arkansas with spina bifida each year, costing millions of dollars for health care. Folic acid, a B vitamin, can reduce a woman’s risk of having a pregnancy affected by a NTD by up to 70 percent if taken before she becomes pregnant and during the first few weeks of pregnancy.
Folic acid can be found in most multivitamin supplements and in foods such as fortified breakfast cereals, enriched grain products, orange juice, fruits and green vegetables. Not only can folic acid prevent NTDs, but studies suggest it also may decrease the risk of developing heart disease, stroke and colon and cervical cancer.
The Arkansas Center for Birth Defects Research and Prevention is the lead organization of the Arkansas Folic Acid Coalition, which encourages Arkansas women to consume folic acid to prevent NTDs. In order for folic acid to be effective, it must be taken one to three months before pregnancy. Because of this, all women of childbearing age are urged to take a multivitamin containing folic acid daily.
The Folic Acid Coalition communicates this message to Arkansans through public education, post-partum education, health care provider education and other outlets. The Arkansas Center for Birth Defects Research and Prevention is a collaborative effort of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Arkansas Children’s Hospital and the Arkansas Department of Health.
For more information about folic acid and preventing birth defects, contact Jana Wiscaver, RN, Health Educator at the Arkansas Center for Birth Defects Research and Prevention, toll free at 1-877-662-4567.