Together with SI Darlington, we are raising awareness of the Go Folic Campaign. http://www.gofolic.org.uk http://www.shinecharity.org.uk
Go Folic! is a national campaign started by the charity Shine in 2011, to help raise vital awareness among all women of childbearing age about the importance of taking folic acid BEFORE becoming pregnant.
Doing this helps reduce the risk of serious birth defects of the brain and spine, called Neural Tube Defects, like spina bifida and anencephaly.
For all women who are having sex, there is always a chance that they could get pregnant, even if they’re not trying to. Go Folic! calls on all women who might become pregnant to take 400mcg of folic acid each day, as recommended by the NHS.
The more people who come on board with our campaign, the more chance future babies have of being born healthy.
Folic Facts
| 50 | 400 | 28 | 9 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 50% of pregnancies in the UK are unplanned. | All women who might become pregnant should take a daily tablet containing 400mcg of folic acid. | Birth defects of the brain and spine (Neural Tube Defects) develop in the first 28 days of pregnancy – before many women even know that they are pregnant. | Folic acid is also known as vitamin B9. |
| 3 | 5 | 72 | 900 |
| Women need to start taking folic acid 3 months before conception and continue for the first 3 months of pregnancy. | Some women are at a higher risk of having a baby with a Neural Tube Defect and will need to take a higher 5mg dose of folic acid. | Up to 72% of Neural Tube Defects could be prevented if all women took folic acid at the correct time and dose. | Each year in the UK 900 pregnancies are affected by NTDs. |
| 1 | 23 | 30 | 20 |
| It takes 1 tablet of folic acid each day to help reduce the risk of NTDs such as spina bifida and anencephaly. | It’s over 23 years since scientists proved that folic acid helped to reduce the risk of Neural Tube Defects. | Women who are very overweight (with a BMI over 30) are at increased risk of having a baby with an NTD (and other pregnancy complications) and will need to take the higher 5mg prescription dose of folic acid. | Spina bifida is not normally diagnosed until the 20 week scan, leaving parents very little time in which to make some very difficult and life-changing decisions. |
| 80 | 66 | 2.5 | 16-45 |
| In the UK, 80% of pregnancies diagnosed with an NTD end in termination at 20 weeks+. | Studies show that over 66% of women didn’t know that they needed to take folic acid BEFORE they conceived. | Taking a supplement which also contains at least 2.5mcg of B12 may help to further reduce the risk of NTDs as B12 helps folic acid to work even better! | All sexually active women between these ages need to be taking 400mcg folic acid daily, just in case! |
| 2 | 90 | 4 | 1000 |
| At least 2 unborn babies in the UK develop a condition like spina bifida, every day. | Approximately 90% of children born with spina bifida will also develop hydrocephalus (fluid on the brain). | If you have had a previously affected pregnancy, you have a 4% chance of having another baby with an NTD. | The safe upper daily limit for regular consumption of folic acid is 1,000mcg. It’s important not to exceed this upper limit unless you are in one of the high risk categories. |