"State data show that, between 2017 and 2019 - the latest years for which state data is available - about 28% of Latinas reported taking folic acid the month before becoming pregnant. White women took the vitamin at a higher rate, with 46% of them reporting consuming folic acid, according to the California Department of Public Health."
"Research has shown that folic acid can reduce birth defects by up to 70%. That's why it's found in prenatal vitamins. But because women may not find out they are pregnant until weeks or months after, public health has long recommended that folic acid also be added to staple foods. In 1998, the U.S. required manufacturers to fortify certain grain products with folic acid, such as pasta, rice, and cereals, to help women of reproductive age get the necessary amounts."
Starting Jan. 1, California requires most tortillas and corn masa products sold in the state to contain folic acid. Latinas in California report lower pre-pregnancy folic acid use (about 28% during 2017–2019) compared with White women (46%), increasing risk of neural tube defects such as spina bifida and anencephaly. Folic acid can reduce such birth defects by up to 70% and is included in prenatal vitamins, but many women learn they are pregnant too late. Federal fortification of certain grains in 1998 reduced defect rates by about a third; corn masa fortification was allowed in 2016 but not required until now.
Read at The Mercury News
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]