Folate status in women of childbearing age--United States, 1999.

In 1992, the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) recommended that women of child-bearing age increase consumption of the vitamin folic acid to reduce spina bifida and anencephaly (neural tube defects [NTD]) cases (1). Since then, national efforts have been implemented to increase the use of dietary supplements containing folic acid (2). In 1996, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) mandated that all enriched cereal grain products be fortified with folic acid (3). To assess levels of folic acid among childbearing-aged women, CDC compared serum and red blood cell (RBC) folate concentrations for childbearing-aged women who participated in the 1999 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 1999) to childbearing-aged women who participated in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III, 1988-1994). The findings indicate substantial increases in serum and RBC folate concentrations among women of childbearing age.