"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. This puts Latinas at higher risk of having a baby born with neural tube defects - defects of the brain and spinal cord. Some examples of that are conditions like spina bifida and anencephaly."
"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 for weeks or months, 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."
California will require most tortillas and corn masa products to contain folic acid beginning Jan. 1 to improve infant health. Latinas in California report lower preconception folic acid use—about 28% between 2017 and 2019—compared with 46% of white women, increasing the risk of neural tube defects such as spina bifida and anencephaly. Folic acid can reduce such birth defects by up to 70%, and public health recommends fortifying staple foods because many pregnancies are unrecognized early. The U.S. mandated folic acid fortification of some grain products in 1998, lowering neural tube defects by about a third; corn masa fortification was permitted but not required in 2016.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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