TY - JOUR
T1 - Folic acid supplementation use among women who contact a teratology information service
AU - Stepanuk, Kathleen M.
AU - Tolosa, Jorge E.
AU - Lewis, Dawnette
AU - Myers, Victoria
AU - Royds, Cynthia
AU - Sabogal, Juan Carlos
AU - Librizzi, Ronald
PY - 2002/10
Y1 - 2002/10
N2 - OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the percentage of the women who call a teratology information service who take folic acid before conception. STUDY DESIGN: A pilot-tested questionnaire was used to survey women who called a teratology information service about their use of folic acid supplementation. Frequencies were generated by pregnancy status, age, race, and parity. RESULTS: Of the 693 pregnant callers, 42% of the women initiated folic acid use 6 weeks before pregnancy, 35% of the women initiated folic acid use during pregnancy. Thirty-seven percent of the total caller population reported taking folic acid. Forty-seven percent of pregnant white women versus 27% of pregnant black women reported preconceptional folic acid use (P = .005). Thirty-nine percent of pregnant women who were <30 years old reported preconceptional folic acid use versus 48% of women who were >30 years old (P = .018). CONCLUSION: Most pregnant women take folic acid; however, only a minority of them start before conception. The use of preconceptional folic acid, although higher than the national average of 30%, was still low. Many women start taking folic acid in their pregnancy after the neural tube is closed.
AB - OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the percentage of the women who call a teratology information service who take folic acid before conception. STUDY DESIGN: A pilot-tested questionnaire was used to survey women who called a teratology information service about their use of folic acid supplementation. Frequencies were generated by pregnancy status, age, race, and parity. RESULTS: Of the 693 pregnant callers, 42% of the women initiated folic acid use 6 weeks before pregnancy, 35% of the women initiated folic acid use during pregnancy. Thirty-seven percent of the total caller population reported taking folic acid. Forty-seven percent of pregnant white women versus 27% of pregnant black women reported preconceptional folic acid use (P = .005). Thirty-nine percent of pregnant women who were <30 years old reported preconceptional folic acid use versus 48% of women who were >30 years old (P = .018). CONCLUSION: Most pregnant women take folic acid; however, only a minority of them start before conception. The use of preconceptional folic acid, although higher than the national average of 30%, was still low. Many women start taking folic acid in their pregnancy after the neural tube is closed.
KW - Folic acid
KW - Neural tube defect
KW - Pregnancy
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0036795832&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1067/mob.2002.126981
DO - 10.1067/mob.2002.126981
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0036795832
SN - 0002-9378
VL - 187
SP - 964
EP - 967
JO - American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
JF - American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
IS - 4
ER -