Folic acid, also called folate, is a B vitamin (B9) found mostly in leafy green vegetables and legumes. Repeated studies have shown that women who get 400 micrograms (0.4 milligrams) daily prior to conception and during early pregnancy reduce the risk that their baby will be born with a serious neural tube defect (a birth defect involving incomplete development of the brain and spinal cord) by up to 70%.

• Annually, there are approximately 7.8 million children affected with birth defects worldwide. In the Philippines, birth defects are among the top 20 causes of death across the lifespan and represent the eighth leading cause of infant mortality.

• Awareness on the significance of Folic acid supplementation among Filipino women in reproductive age is LOW.

• Folic acid is needed a month before pregnancy and during the first trimester (first three months) of gestation - a need which exists before a woman knows that she is pregnant.

• It lessens the risk of neural tube defects (NTDs). It also lessens the possibility of a baby born with facial clefts (cleft lip or cleft palate).

• There is a need for an intensive awareness campaign on the significance of folic acid supplementation among women in reproductive age (ages 14 and older).

Adapted from the March of Dimes Quick Reference Fact Sheets