All women of childbearing age need to take 400 micrograms of folic acid
daily…day after day, week after week, year after year during all of their
childbearing years—whether or not they are planning a pregnancy.
This simple habit, when taken PRIOR to pregnancy can decrease a woman’s risk
of having a baby born with serious birth defects of the brain or spine by up
to 70 percent.
These serious birth defects develop in the first 28 days of pregnancy, long
before most women realize that they are pregnant. More than half of all
pregnancies are unplanned, so taking folic acid each & every day is an
important habit to keep.
The Kentucky Folic Acid Partnership: In December of 1998 the
Statewide Kentucky Folic Acid Partnership (KFAP) was formed to help educate and
encourage all women of childbearing age to take 400 micrograms of folic acid
daily; and in 2004, the KFAP expanded to promote all perinatal health concerns.
These include:
The prevention of late preterm birth
The importance of breastfeeding for both mother and baby
The importance of the Back to Sleep Campaign to help prevent Sudden Infant
Death Syndrome (SIDS) and,
The prevention of disparities among certain minorities for adequate
healthcare.
In 2006, the
KFAP was instrumental in naming the state’s three-year late preterm birth
prevention initiative: Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait, and two members
of the KFAP from the BRDHD helped create and write the Healthy Babies are
Worth the Wait toolkit (working closely with the National March of Dimes and
5 other KFAP members from the state level) which has been distributed statewide
and is available to download from thewww.prematurityprevention.orgwebsite. In June of 2010, the toolkit will be updated to reflect the most
current evidence-based best-practice standards of care.The BRDHD has a
long and rich tradition with the KFAP beginning as one of the four founding
members and as the agency that continues to employ the Statewide Folic Acid
Campaign Coordinator, and the www.kfap.orgwebmaster and Chair of the Community Outreach Committee.
Barren River District Health Department | 1109 State Street | P.O. Box 1157 | Bowling Green, KY 42102-1157 Phone-(270) 781-8039 | Fax-(270) 796-8946
