Folic acid supplementation use among women who contact a teratology information service.
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.


METHODS
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).


CONCLUSIONS
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.
Stepanuk
Kathleen M
KM
Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Jefferson Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Tolosa
Jorge E
JE
Lewis
Dawnette
D
Myers
Victoria
V
Royds
Cynthia
C
Sabogal
Juan Carlos
JC
Librizzi
Ronald
R
D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017677:Age Distribution; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007255:Information Services; D009436:Neural Tube Defects / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016742:Preconception Care; D011247:Pregnancy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D018600:Teratology; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
D005492:Folic Acid