Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities
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NACCHO received funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to support local health departments (LHDs) in the prevention of birth defects and developmental disabilities. NACCHO will provide LHDs with information and analyses on preconception care and other methods of preventing birth defects and developmental disabilities. More »
10 Things You Need to Know about Birth Defects
Each year, one in 33 babies are born with a birth defect; birth defects are also the cause of one in five infant deaths. To help address this issue, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released "10 Things You Need to Know about Birth Defects", which provides quick facts and links to information and resources on how to both prevent and address birth defects. This could prove to be a helpful and easy-to-use resource for local public health providers and the women and children they serve. Folic Acid
A woman who takes a daily dose of 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid, starting at least one month before getting pregnant, can protect her growing baby's spine and brain and prevent against birth defects such as spina bifida, anencephaly, and neural tube defects. Two helpful resources on the benefits and use of folic acid include: 1) The North Carolina Folic Acid Council, which provides helpful information on the benefits of folic acid, how women can fit 400 mcg of folic acid into their daily diet, and how to spread the word about this simple, preventative behavior. 2) The Folic Acid Quiz developed by the CDC can serve as a learning tool for anyone interested in understanding how to maximize the preventative effects of folic acid, including public health professionals and women of child bearing age. |
