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ABOUT US
NATIONAL COUNCIL ON FOLIC ACID
 Who We Are
The National Council on Folic Acid (NCFA) is a partnership of national organizations and associations, state folic acid councils and government agencies whose mission is to improve health by promoting the benefits and consumption of folic acid.
Our goals:
- To reduce folic acid preventable birth defects by recommending that women of childbearing age take 400 micrograms of synthetic folic acid daily, from fortified foods and/or supplements, in addition to consuming food folate from a varied diet.
- To communicate and promote emerging and new science on folic acid, especially that relate to maternal and child health.
In 1992, the United States Public Health Service recommended that all women of childbearing years should take 400 micrograms (0.4 mg) of folic acid daily to prevent having a pregnancy affected by a neural tube defect. An educational campaign was needed to educate the public about the importance of folic acid.
NCFA was created in 1998 in response to that need. Our founding members were the:
- American Academy of Pediatrics
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- March of Dimes
- Spina Bifida Association
Our members work in a variety of ways to achieve our mission. They educate through:
- Partnerships that provide free folic acid supplements
- Telephone hotlines
- Educational programs for providers
- Brochures and fact sheets
- Exhibits at national health care conferences
- Web sites, bulletins and e-mail news
Every day, our members come up with more innovative and creative ways to reach people. The work is paying off. Survey results indicate that women’s awareness of folic acid has grown from 52% in 1995 to almost 80% in 2004. The percentage of women who know that folic acid can prevent birth defects has risen from 4% to 24%. The amount of women who take folic acid daily has grown from 28% to 40%. Data from the March of Dimes Gallup Survey, 2004.
Emerging research indicates that folic acid is not only a benefit for women of childbearing years, but for everyone. It may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease as well as colon, cervical and breast cancer. It may also help prevent Alzheimer’s disease.
NCFA continues to build awareness of the benefits of folic acid, using a variety of creative methods to reach health care providers, policymakers and consumers. We continue our work toward making folic acid education part of the standard of health care. Our ultimate goal is to eliminate preventable neural tube defects through the use of folic acid.
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