Educators
Folic acid is a B vitamin that, when taken before pregnancy, has been proven to prevent neural tube defects (NTDs) like spina bifida and anencephaly. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention up to 70 percent of neural tube defects could be prevented if women took 400 mcg (micrograms) of folic acid everyday.
Recent studies indicate that folic acid may also reduce the risk of heart and limb defects. And other recent studies indicate that folic acid decreases homocysteine levels and may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and some forms of cancer.
The best way to get 100 percent of the daily requirement is to take a multi-vitamin or folic acid supplement, which can be found at any drugstore or by eating a cereal fortified with 100 percent folic acid.
An overwhelming number of females, including middle school and high school girls, don’t know the benefits of taking folic acid. Educate students about folic acid by incorporating the comprehensive curriculum developed for high school biology classes into your curriculum. A middle school family and consumer science curriculum will be available in the fall of 2004.
Our "Take it. Seriously." flyer in English and Spanish provides much of the important information your patients need to know. To order these valuable materials, call us at 1.800.433.0746, or to view online, select one of the available materials from the list below.
Folic Acid Flyer (English) 58kb
Folic Acid Flyer (English) 4.2mb
Folic Acid Flyer (Enspanol) 64kb
Folic Acid Flyer (Enspanol) 4.5mb
Folic Acid Poster (English) 4.8mb
Folic Acid Poster (Enspanol) 4.8mb
Babies, Birth Defects and Folic Acid:
Education in the Classroom Targeted for High School Students Table of Contents
| Description | Page Numbers |
|---|---|
| Lesson 1: Birth Defects Introduction and Vocabulary Includes Overheads and Answer Key (Estimated time 40 minutes) |
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| Lesson 2: Folic Acid Information Includes Overheads (optional), Handouts and Answer Keys (Estimated time 40 minutes) |
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| Lesson:3 Case Description and Scientific Investigation Includes Overheads, Handouts and Answer keys (Estimated time 40 minutes) |
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| Summary Quiz (2 pages) and Answer Key | |
| Additional Activity Suggestions | |
| Birth Defects - Related Sites | |
| Complete Family and Consumer Science Teacher's Guide |
Folic Acid for Life: Education in the Classroom
A Lesson Targeted for Middle School Students
Table of Contents
| Description | Page Numbers |
|---|---|
| Lesson 1: Birth Defects Introduction and Vocabulary Includes Overheads and Answer Key (Estimated time 40 minutes) |
|
| Lesson 2: Folic Acid Information Includes Overheads (optional), Handouts and Answer Keys (Estimated time 40 minutes) |
|
| Summary Quiz (2 pages) and Answer Key | |
| Additional Activity Suggestions | |
| Birth Defects | |
| The Complete Middle School Biology Teacher’s Guide |
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