RALEIGH, N.C. – Over the past ten years there has been a significant decline in the rates of spina bifida in North Carolina. In observance of Spina Bifida Awareness Month, the North Carolina Folic Acid Council (NCFAC) and the March of Dimes would like to recognize the work North Carolina has done to reduce the number of babies born with this serious birth defect.

“Thanks to folic acid fortification and an intense public health campaign to increase folic acid consumption through multivitamins, we’re seeing progress in the fight to eliminate neural tube defects like spina bifida,” said Amy Mullenix, MSW, MSPH, Statewide Campaign Coordinator. “Yet, there are still too many babies born with spina bifida and we want to make sure every woman of childbearing age gets the message that she should be taking a multivitamin every day, just in case.”

In North Carolina there is one child born with a neural tube defect (NTD) for every 1,160 live births, according to the State Center for Health Statistics' Birth Defects Monitoring Program. Provisional data from the Birth Defects Monitoring Program show that the rate of NTDs declined approximately 40 percent between 1995 and 2005. Spina bifida rates dropped by an estimated 45 percent during that same time span. In Western North Carolina, where the Folic Acid Campaign has been active the longest, NTDs have decreased by more than 80 percent.

Spina bifida is a defect of the central nervous system and is the most common NTD. The neural tube is an embryonic structure that grows into the brain and spine. The defect occurs when the neural tube fails to close properly, around or before the 28th day of pregnancy, before most women know they are pregnant. Spina bifida can range from mild to severe. Infants who survive this birth defect often spend their lives in wheelchairs, unable to move their lower extremities, or to control their bowels or bladder. Although many individuals with spina bifida go on to lead productive lives.

Research shows that 50–70% of neural tube defects are preventable with adequate folic acid intake before pregnancy. The US Public Health Service recommends all women of childbearing age take 400 mcg of folic acid daily. Nearly all brand-name and generic multivitamins contain the recommended amount.

The North Carolina Folic Acid Campaign, a collaboration between the North Carolina Folic Acid Council and the March of Dimes, uses innovative initiatives to educate women about the benefits of folic acid and the birth defects it helps to prevent. Through the Office Champion Program, which educates health care providers; the Community Ambassador Program, a lay health education program; and a multi-faceted media campaign in English and Spanish, the campaign spreads its message throughout the entire state.

To find out more about how you can become a community ambassador or office champion, contact Megan Fazekas at 919-781-2481, or by e-mail at mfazekas@marchofdimes.com. For more information about the NC Folic Acid Campaign, visit http://www.getfolic.com/.