1 / 7

Preventing Birth Defects: Importance of Periconceptional Multivitamins with Folic Acid

This study emphasizes the role of folic acid in preventing birth defects, with insights from research data and recommendations for women of childbearing age. The findings underscore the significance of taking multivitamins containing folic acid before pregnancy to reduce the risk of neural tube defects and other major birth defects. The research highlights the impact of knowledge, intention of pregnancy, medical insurance, family income, and WIC enrollment on folic acid intake among women. Recommendations are made for healthcare professionals to promote the use of multivitamins with folic acid to ensure better birth outcomes.

bkilby
Download Presentation

Preventing Birth Defects: Importance of Periconceptional Multivitamins with Folic Acid

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Prevention of Birth Defects: Periconceptional Multivitamins with Folic Acid (MVF) Jill Moore (1) Ken Rosenberg, MD, MPH (1,2) Al Sandoval, MS, MBA (2) (1) Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon (2) Department of Human Services, Office of Family Health, Portland, Oregon Seventh Annual MCH Epidemiology Conference December 12, 2001 Clearwater Beach, Florida

  2. Background • 4000 NTD-affected pregnancies per year in United States • Folic Acid: prevents at least 50% of NTDs • All fertile women: 400Fg (0.4 mg) of folic acid/day supplement • Food folate is insufficient • Fortification of grains provides an average of 100Fg of folic acid/day

  3. Methods • Oregon PRAMS, 1998-99 • Question: "Were you taking the vitamin folic acid most days in the month before you became pregnant?" • n = 1867/2855 women • Response Rate = 65.4%

  4. Results • Took periconceptional folic acid: 29.7% • Knew that folic acid use can prevent birth defects: 77.1% • Multivariate Risk Factors (for taking FA) Odds Ratio 95% CI • Knowing that folic acid use can prevent birth defects¶ 8.30 (3.45, 20.0) • Intended pregnancy( 3.70 (2.33, 5.88) • Having medical insurance† 2.13 (1.19, 3.70) • Family Income š$30,000/yr* 1.85 (1.11, 3.13) • Not enrolled in WIC during pregnancy‡ 1.67 (1.00, 2.78) • ¶ compared to not knowing that folic acid use can prevent birth defects • (compared to unintended pregnancy • † any health insurance compared to no insurance prior to pregnancy. • * annual family income before pregnancy, comparing to —$30,000/yr • ‡ compared to enrolled in WIC during pregnancy

  5. Discussion-1 • Folic Acid prevents many Birth Defects, not just NTDs.

  6. Discussion-2 • Czeizel, American Journal of Medical Genetics 1996;62:179-183 • Intervention: 800Fg Folic Acid + Multivitamins • Control: placebo ("trace elements") • n=4862 • Intervention Controls • Neural Tube Defects 0 6 • After exclusion of these 6 NTDs: • Major Birth Defects (MBD) 20.6 40.6 • per 1000 pregnancies • Relative Risk of MBD for intervention group (compared to controls): • RR = 0.54 (95% CI 0.39, 0.76) p = 0.0003

  7. Discussion-3 • Women should be advised to take “Multivitamins with Folic Acid” rather than “Folic Acid”

More Related