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During National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 to
October 15), we highlight opportunities to address issues that impact the
health of Hispanic women in our communities.
Folic Acid Folic
acid is a B vitamin. Folic acid is very important because it can help prevent some major birth defects
of
the baby's brain (anencephaly) and spine (spina bifida), called neural tube defects.
Women need 400 micrograms
(mcg) of folic acid every day. A woman needs to start taking it
at least one month before she becomes pregnant and while she is pregnant.
Hispanic/Latina Women:
Figure: Prevalence of neural tube
defects (NTDs) (anencephaly and spina bifida) before and after mandatory folic
acid fortification, by maternal race/ethnicity — 19 population-based birth
defects surveillance programs,* United States, 1995–2011
What Women Can Do:
Take 400 micrograms
(mcg) of folic acid every day.
There
are two easy ways to be sure to get enough folic acid each day: 1. Take
a vitamin that has folic acid in it every day. -
Most multivitamins sold in the United States have the amount of folic acid women need each day. Women can also choose to take a small pill (supplement) that has only folic acid in it each day.
-
Multivitamins and folic acid pills can be found at most local pharmacy, grocery, or discount stores. Check the label to be sure it contains 100% of the daily value (DV) of folic acid, which is 400 micrograms (mcg).
2. Eat
a bowl of breakfast cereal
that has 100% of the daily value of folic acid every day.
- Not every cereal has this amount. Check the
label on the side of the box, and look for one that has “100%” next to folic
acid.
Key Findings: Fortification of Corn Masa
Flour With Folic Acid in the United States
This article summarizes the
current U.S. folic acid fortification policy, and looks at the effects that folic
acid fortification of corn masa flour, a staple of the Hispanic diet, could
have on this population.
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