Originally published October 4 2005
Study shows fewer pregnant women are taking folic acid supplements
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
The CDC published a report stating that the number of pregnant women taking folic acid supplements, proven to reduce the chances of birth defects, was down from the 40 percent reported in 2004, with only 33 percent in 2005 recorded as getting the daily minimum of 400 micrograms.
Fewer American women are taking daily vitamins with folic acid during their childbearing years, raising fears of a jump in spina bifida and other birth defects, a U.S. study suggested on Thursday.
The incidence of these devastating birth defects has been shown to fall by up to 70 percent when women take 400 micrograms of folic acid daily as part of a healthy diet before conception and in the first trimester of pregnancy.
Although folic acid is found in leafy green vegetables, some beans, orange juice and enriched bread and grains, women between the ages of 18 and 45 are often advised to take daily supplements to ensure they get the required amount.
But only 33 percent did so in 2005, according to a March of Dimes Gallup telephone survey, which was published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In 1998 the Food and Drug Administration made it mandatory for enriched bread, pasta and other cereal grains to be fortified with folic acid.
Early in the first trimester of pregnancy, before many women realize they are pregnant, the fetus develops its neural tube, which eventually becomes the baby's brain and spinal cord.
Inadequate intake of folic acid can lead to spina bifida, a deformation of the spine and the leading cause of childhood paralysis in the United States.
Another result can be anencephaly, the congenital absence of much of the brain and spinal cord.
This can result in miscarriage, stillbirth or an infant's death shortly after birth.
U.S. health officials, who hope to achieve a 50-percent reduction in spina bifida and related defects by 2010, said they were designing programs, including one focused on women in college, to raise folic acid consumption.
All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. Truth Publishing LLC takes sole responsibility for all content. Truth Publishing sells no hard products and earns no money from the recommendation of products. NaturalNews.com is presented for educational and commentary purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice from any licensed practitioner. Truth Publishing assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. For the full terms of usage of this material, visit www.NaturalNews.com/terms.shtml