Along with a balanced diet and regular exercise, multivitamins are a good way to stay in good health. For just pennies a day, they may help lower your risk of cancer, heart disease and osteoporosis as well as prevent some birth defects. The U.S. Public Health Services recommends that all women of child-bearing age consume 400 mcg of folic acid daily. Taking a multivitamin every day ensures that you meet this recommendation.
In North Carolina there are approximately 200 pregnancies per year affected by these neural tube defects, such as anencephaly and spina bifida. These debilitating—and sometimes fatal—birth defects may be prevented by up to 70 percent if folic acid is taken before and during the first trimester of pregnancy.
To address the critical issue of folic acid supplementation, The March of Dimes joined with the North Carolina Folic Acid Council to create statewide campaign whose mission is to improve health by promoting the benefits and consumption of folic acid through multivitamin use. The multi-faceted campaign uses a combination of grassroots organizations, community educators, healthcare provider education, media and partnerships to share the folic acid message.
As a result of the intensive folic acid education campaign in the Western region of North Carolina, there has been a decrease in neural tube defects of over 80%. The statewide NTD rate has declined by 28%. The March of Dimes is proud to be a leading partner in this successful campaign.
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