Release Date: May 8, 2009
Contact: Christine Patmon, Metro Health Public Relations Manager, 207-8638
Prepare to be a Mom – Protect Your Child before Pregnancy
Daily dose of folic acid can help prevent spina bifida and preterm births
As we head into Mother’s Day weekend, leaders with Metro Health, Spina Bifida Texas, and the March of Dimes are asking women to develop their motherly instincts prior to pregnancy by protecting their future babies now. Women of childbearing age can reduce their children’s risk of spina bifida and preterm births by incorporating folic acid into their daily diet.
That recommendation was delivered by Metro Health Director Dr. Fernando Guerra and Heather Felty, President of Spina Bifida Texas, as the health department’s Rittiman Road Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) clinic received the grand prize today for its entry in the annual Folic Acid Bulletin Board Contest. As part of an annual folic acid awareness campaign initiated by Spina Bifida Texas, March of Dimes and Metro Health WIC clinics display colorful and informational bulletin boards. Prizes are awarded in several categories. For their grand prize, the Rittiman WIC clinic team received catered lunch and five-minute massages as well as various folic acid awareness prizes.
Folic acid is a B vitamin found in green leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, beans and whole grains. It is essential in the body’s ability to grow new cells. Because folic acid is water soluble, the body does not store this important vitamin. Thus, a daily dose is recommended.
“Getting the message out that even if a woman may not be planning a pregnancy, she should still be eating a healthy diet and taking a multivitamin containing folic acid daily is crucial, especially for Latinas who are twice as likely to have a baby born with spina bifida than
other populations,” said Dr. Guerra. “The 27,000 children born in San Antonio each year
deserve a healthy start in order to have the best opportunity to succeed.”
“Any one of these children has the potential to be born with a neural tube defect such as spina bifida. Sadly, in the majority of cases, this disability can be avoided,” says Felty. “If a woman were to consume the recommended dose of 400mcg of folic acid every day prior to becoming pregnant, she could reduce her risk of a spina bifida affected pregnancy by up to 70%.”
Spina bifida is a type of neural tube defect. The neural tube is a narrow channel that folds and closes during the third and fourth weeks of pregnancy to form the brain and spinal cord. Spina bifida happens if the portion of the neural tube that forms the spinal cord does not close completely during the first month of pregnancy. The defect can cause physical and learning disabilities. Physical ailments include: difficulty controlling bowel and bladder functions; partial or complete leg paralysis; fluid buildup in the brain; and meningitis.
Following are some facts about spina bifida and pregnancy:
• Spina bifida is the most common birth defect in the U.S.
• Spina bifida occurs in the first 28 days of a pregnancy before most women know they are pregnant.
• The average cost of caring for a child born with spina bifida for life is about $636,000 and sometimes exceeds $1 million.
• Almost 2 in every 1,000 births in Texas are affected by spina bifida each year.
• In 95% of the cases, spina bifida occurs with women who have no history of it in their families.
• A woman must be taking folic acid at least three months prior to becoming pregnant in order for it to be effective against spina bifida and preterm births.
• 50% of the pregnancies in the United States are unplanned.
• 1 in 8 babies is born too soon and too small.
Along with the bulletin board contest, folic acid awareness is being promoted through VIA bus ads, women’s restrooms in local businesses and the Silver Stars opening home game.
For more information about Metro Health’s WIC program, call 225-0213. For more information about spina bifida, call Spina Bifida Texas at 653-1800.
