The Council is committed to a statewide folic acid education campaign utilizing healthcare professionals, state health organizations, and community groups to:

•  Increase awareness of folic acid, and knowledge of the benefits of taking folic acid before becoming pregnant

•  Encourage all women of child bearing age to consume 400 mcg of folic acid daily.

Goals and Objectives

The goal of the Louisiana Folic Acid Council is to reduce the number of neural tube birth defects in Louisiana by recommending that women of childbearing age take 400 micrograms of synthetic folic acid daily, in addition to consuming foods high in folate from a varied diet.

The Louisiana Folic Acid Council held a training workshop in October 2004 for health professionals in the Louisiana Folic Acid Curriculum. These trainings were provided free to attendees, which include doctors, nurses, dieticians, social workers, family planning clinic staff, school health clinic staff, and church nurses. This year workshops werenheld in New Orleans, Crowley and Lake Charles, Louisiana.

The Council is also working toward building partnerships with clinics in the New Orleans and Baton Rouge areas to provide direct outreach to the staff and patients, providing folic acid supplements and educational materials free of charge. Research conducted by the March of Dimes shows that only a third of women who were aware of folic acid had heard of folic acid from their heath care provider, we hope to increase the number of providers who discuss folic acid with their patients.  Our current partner is the University of New Orleans Student Health Services Office.  We are very excited to be promoting folic acid among the students at UNO.