more on folic acid

Why you need this crucial vitamin now

The Future
Many public-health experts say awareness is growing, albeit slowly. “It is moving in the right direction, but we are not there yet,” says Godfrey Oakley, M.D., director of the division of birth defects and developmental disabilities for the CDC. The foods chosen for fortification — breads and cereals — are eaten by most people, so the hope is that all women will soon be getting plenty of folic acid during their childbearing years.
    Meanwhile, Oakley and his wife have hatched a plan they hope will catch on: “Every time you get invited to a wedding,” he suggests, “take a year’s supply of folic acid and give it to the bride.”