Folate

The Commonwealth Government has made a commitment to support initiatives to promote folate intake by encouraging women of child bearing age to use folic acid in their diet to help reduce the cases of neural tube defects (NTDs) such as spina bifida in newborn babies.

It has been demonstrated that relatively simple, cost-effective measures such as encouraging women to increase their intake of folic acid or folate (a B vitamin), can have a significant impact on the health of women and children. It is important for women of child bearing age to consume adequate folate to help prevent neural tube defects (NTD's) such as spina bifida.

An estimated 400 to 500 pregnancies are affected by NTD's in Australia each year. From international randomised controlled trials and local models of food consumption, it is estimated that 50 - 70 per cent of these NTD's could be prevented if women of child bearing age boost their levels of folate or folic acid intake at least one month before conceiving, and in the first three months of pregnancy. Conservative estimates by the National Health and Medical Research Council expert panel on folate fortification, predict $2.3 million in cost savings per year by increasing the folate intakes of the population.

Resources:

Folate Facts (1998) - a one page fact sheet on folate.

Eat It! The Facts on Folate! (1997) - a comic developed by Streetwize Comics to target women in lower socio-economic groups and other "hard-to-reach" groups for whom other forms of educational material are neither accepted nor accessible, and who rarely attend ante natal classes.

Helping to prevent neural tube defects: a pharmacist's and assistants' guide to folate (l997)- The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) featured this 8 page booklet on folate in the September 1997 issue of the Australian Pharmacist to target pharmacists and their professional development on folate.