Folic acid plays an important role in the prevention of serious birth defects.

     Folic acid is a B-vitamin that can be found in many vitamin pills or naturally as folate in foods such as orange juice and dark green and leafy vegetables. It can also be found in breakfast cereals labeled "fortified" or in rice and whole wheat bread labeled "enriched." This fortification marks the first time in our nation’s history that our food supply has been fortified to prevent birth defects.

     Medical findings have revealed that 400 micrograms of folic acid taken one month before conception and during the first few months of pregnancy can prevent serious birth defects of the spine and brain such as spina bifida and anencephaly.

     Women of childbearing age should know that taking a multivitamin containing 400 micrograms of folic acid every day before pregnancy, along with eating a diet rich in fortified foods and natural folates, can help reduce the risk of having a baby with a neural tube defect. The U.S. Public Health Service recommends that all women who could become pregnant get 400 micrograms (0.4 mg) of folic acid every day. This could prevent up to 70 percent (approximately 133 affected pregnancies in Florida each year) of some types of serious birth defects.

    Using funds provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Florida Department of Health has implemented a birth defects prevention program directed at reducing the incidence of neural tube defects such as spina bifida and anencephaly. Important aspects of the program include a statewide public-awareness campaign, professional education, a pilot surveillance program designed to actively ascertain cases of birth defects in selected counties, and appropriate counseling for families with a history of neural tube defects.