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Pharmacists Join Nationwide Folic Acid Campaign to Prevent Serious Birth Defects
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., NOV. 8, 2001 – Pharmacists across the nation are adding a new label to the prescription bottles for their female customers – a reminder that folic acid can help them prevent serious birth defects in their future babies.
The move is part of a nationwide effort by the March of Dimes to educate all women of childbearing age of the need to consume the B vitamin every day prior to pregnancy in order to prevent birth defects of the brain and spine known as neural tube defects (NTDs).
A kit for pharmacists endorsed by the American Pharmaceutical Association, the National Community Pharmacists Association, and the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, will be distributed to approximately 25,000 pharmacies across the country. The kit contains the folic acid stickers, label buttons for the pharmacists to wear ("Heard About Folic Acid?"), a poster, a counter display, and additional educational materials.
"Pharmacists are the link between science and healthy babies for millions of American women," said Dr. Jennifer L. Howse, president of the March of Dimes. "That’s why we’re calling on pharmacists to help us tell women how important folic acid is for them."
Dr. Howse noted that folic acid has double health benefits, because studies show that it may help protect women from heart disease as well as protect their babies from NTDs and possibly other serious birth defects.
Neural tube defects are among the most serious and common birth defects in the United States. Each year, an estimated 2,500 babies are born with these defects. The most common NTD is spina bifida, a leading cause of childhood paralysis. Another NTD is anencephaly, a fatal condition in which a baby is born with a severely underdeveloped brain and skull.
To help prevent NTDs, all women capable of having a baby should consume a multivitamin containing 400 micrograms of folic acid every day, beginning before conception and continuing into the early months of pregnancy, as part of a healthy diet including foods containing folic acid, such as leafy green vegetables, orange juice, peanuts, beans, and fortified grains.
A single March of Dimes pharmacist kit can be obtained by contacting your local chapter of the March of Dimes, listed in the white pages of the telephone directory. Large quantities for corporate distribution can be obtained by calling the March of Dimes Fulfillment Center toll-free at 1-800-367-6630; ask for item #53-1538-01.
The March of Dimes is a national voluntary health agency whose mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects and infant mortality. Founded in 1938, the March of Dimes funds programs of research, community services, education, and advocacy to save babies. For more information call 1-888-MODIMES.
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