For women of childbearing age, taking just 400 micrograms of folic acid daily can help prevent birth defects such as spina bifida and anencephaly, and many multivitamin supplements provide 100% of a woman's daily folic acid requirements. But according to researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation, and the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, the majority of women in the United States don't take folic acid daily and don't know the facts about how this vitamin helps prevent birth defects.
Researchers surveyed women of childbearing age about their use and knowledge about folic acid. The women answered questions about whether they'd ever heard, read, or seen anything about folic acid, and whether they took a vitamin or mineral supplement on a daily basis; if not, they were asked to provide reasons why they didn't take a supplement. After tallying the results for 2005, researchers compared them with the results from past surveys.
In 2005, 84% of women reported knowing about folic acid - up from only 78% in 2004. However, only 33% of women of childbearing age reported taking folic acid every day in a specific folic acid supplement, prenatal vitamin, or multivitamin, down from 40% in 2004. In both 2004 and 2005, only about 25% of women knew that folic acid prevented birth defects, and in 2005, only 7% of women knew that folic acid should be taken before pregnancy - down from 12% in 2004.
Women who skipped supplements gave several reasons why they didn't take folic acid daily, including: they forgot (28%), they didn't think they needed them (16%), and they thought they got enough nutrients and vitamins from food (9%).
What This Means to You: According to this study, two thirds of all women of childbearing age don't take folic acid supplements daily, a percentage that's increased since 2004. The CDC recommends that all women of childbearing age consume at least 400 micrograms of folic acid daily. If you find it difficult to remember to take your multivitamin or supplement, consider these tips:
- Take your supplement at the same time every day - for example, take it when you brush your teeth in the morning or when getting ready for bed in the evening.
- Write down when you take each day's dose and post your record somewhere easy to spot, like the fridge or bathroom mirror.
- Use a pill reminder box to help you keep track (but be careful to keep these out of the reach of children, since these pill boxes usually aren't child-resistant).
Source: L. L. M. Lindsey, PhD; J. R. Petrini, PhD; H. Carter, MPH; C. Prue, PhD; J. Mulinare, MD; Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, September 30, 2005.
Reviewed by: Steven Dowshen, MD
Date reviewed: October 2005
