Spina Bifida Risk

Awarenes S Spina Bifida Risk (NAPSA)—An estimated 65 million American women are of childbearing age—andall of them are at risk for having a baby born with Spina Bifida, a birth defect of the spine. Taking a multivitamin with folic acid every day reduces the risk by up to 70 percent. Yet even women who takefolic acid every } day maystill be at risk. Folic acid cannot guarantee a healthy baby, but it will help reduce the risk of neural tube defects. Taking folic acid helps reduce the risk of having a pregnancy affected by Spina Bifida; this is especially important if you’ve had a previously affected pregnancy. A previous Spina Bifida pregnancy, like the condition itself, increases the chances of a second affected pregnancy by approxi- mately 20 times. Women with a previous affected pregnancy need a higher prescription dose of folic acid to reduce the risk of having anotherone. If you know any women of childbearing age, encourage them to makefolic acid part of their day, every day. To learn more, visit the Spina Bifida Association at www.sbaa.org or call (800) 621- 3141.