Awareness of folic acid for prevention of neural tube defects in a community with high prevalence of consanguineous marriages

Neural tube defects (NTDs) are severe congenital malformations and can be fatal. Intake of 0.4 mg folic in the periconceptional period reduces the risk of NTD by 50-70%. Consanguinity in the Arab population in Israel is a prevalent custom. The aim of this study was to assess the level of awareness regarding folic acid and its effect in the prevention of NTD among Arab Israeli women of childbearing age. We conducted a cross-sectional study. Of the 653 women (18-45 years) who were randomly selected for interview while visiting their family physician or well-baby clinic, 624 women completed the questionnaire. Fifty-three percent (n = 333) of the respondents had heard of folic acid; 14% (n = 89) were familiar with the protective effect of NTD and 3% (n = 18) had taken folic acid in the first months of pregnancy whereas none of them had used it in the preconception period. Highly educated women, women with one or two children, paramedics, and women of high socioeconomic status were more knowledgeable about the protective effects of folic acid (P < 0.001). Age and religion had no significant effect. An urgent need exists to improve the awareness of this population to the protective effect of folic acid. Daily supplementation and fertification of food with folic acid should be considered as the best way to improve the balance of folic acid in women of childbearing age of this special population (high prevalence of consanguinity).