Health Professionals:
Delivering the Message
Opportunities
According to the March of Dimes annual national telephone survey (March of Dimes, 2008), women look to their health care provider for information about folic acid, yet generally are not receiving it. This highlights several opportunities for intervention by health care providers.
- 89% of women between 18 to 45 years of age, who do not currently take a multivitamin on a daily basis, say that they would be very likely or somewhat likely to take a daily multivitamin if advised to do so by their physician or health care provider.
- These women were asked to list what, if anything would make them more likely to do so. Unprompted, 31%, said that they would be more likely to do so if their doctor or health care provider recommended they take it.
- Thirty-two percent (32%) of women age 18-45 years report that their doctor or other healthcare provider has discussed the benefits of folic acid with them.
- Of women aware of folic acid, one-third cite health care providers as their sources of information about folic acid.
Did you know? Eighty nine percent of women who do not take vitamins indicated that if their health provider counseled them about the benefits they would probably take it.
Although advances in fetal surgery for spina bifida are encouraging and provide hope for affected babies and their families, primary prevention should be underscored and can help many such families avoid the heartache of experiencing an NTD.
