Preconception Health Campaign
If you are a woman of childbearing age (generally between ages 12-48) you should take a multivitamin with folic acid every day. That's the primary message of the NC Folic Acid Council, an outreach program of Fullerton Genetics Center.
If taken daily, multivitamins with folic acid can reduce the possibility of birth defects of the brain and spinal cord by up to 70%. And now, thanks to funding from the state legislature, health departments throughout the state offer these at no cost.
The folic acid outreach program started in 2001. State funds were focused in Western North Carolina because this area had the highest incidence of birth defects in the state. The program successful; the incidence of these conditions dropped by 70% and now the program is funded statewide in four regions.
A fulltime coordinator manages the 27-county western region. We focus in the community primarily on college campuses to spread the word through literature and presentations. We reach healthcare providers through presentations to private practice offices and health departments, emphasizing the importance to physicians and their staffs to encourage childbearing age women to take folic acid, whether they are planning to get pregnant or not.
Contact and More Information:
For more information on the NC Folic Acid Council at Fullerton Genetics Center call 828-213-0022 or use our online contact form.
