Folic acid should be promoted on social media

October 10, 2018

Folic acid should be promoted on social media because young women in the ‘Instagram generation’ are failing to take the supplement

Half of women aged 18-24 are not taking folic acid while trying for a baby
This is despite the risk to children of neural tube defects, such as spina bfida
Experts say messages should be targeted through Instagram and Snapchat
The findings of the survey were presented at a fertility conference in Denver

By Victoria Allen Science Correspondent For The Daily Mail

Published: 17:00 EDT, 9 October 2018 | Updated: 19:13 EDT, 9 October 2018

Women in the ‘Instagram generation’ are failing to take folic acid when trying to conceive, experts have warned.

Public health campaigns on the importance of the vitamin may be missed by 18 to 24-year-olds because the message is not getting through to social media.

More than half of this group are not taking folic acid while trying for a baby, a study found, despite the risk to a future child of neural tube defects such as spina bfida.

Experts say health messages should be targeted through websites like Instagram and Snapchat which attract young people.

Dr Sarah Johnson, from British firm SPD Development, led a study which surveyed almost 11,500 women about folic acid.

She presented the findings at the annual meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine in Denver today.

The clinical research director said: ‘We did not expect these figures, particularly among women who were actively seeking to conceive and had gone out of their way to look for information.

‘These results suggest to me that the way media has been used to promote folic acid is not getting through to younger women.’

She added: ‘Younger people don’t use the traditional channels for getting information, they use social media.

‘And the language has to be very different because they use all these abbreviations like text-speak to talk about trying to conceive.’

Health officials have worked hard to promote folic acid, with the NHS recommending all women take a daily supplement of 400 micrograms while trying to get pregnant.

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This is to build up enough of the vitamin to protect babies from birth defects while their spine is developing during the first 12 weeks in the womb.

Researchers used an online survey to question 11,478 women about folic acid, finding just 46.7 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds were taking it while trying to conceive.

This fell far short of the results for other age groups, with more than two-thirds of 35 to 40-year-old women remembering to take the supplement as they tried to conceive.

Tips for a healthy pregnancy

Pregnancy health charity Tommy’s gives a list of actions which would have a positive impact on the health of a pregnancy and the future child if done before the mother stops contraception.

Take folic acid

Taking 400mcg of folic acid daily from two months before stopping contraception can help protect babies from developing neural tube defects such as spina bifida.

Quit smoking

Smoking during pregnancy causes 2,200 premature births, 5,000 miscarriages and 300 perinatal deaths per year in the UK.

Be a healthy weight

Being overweight before and during pregnancy increases the risk of potentially dangerous conditions such as pre-eclampsia and diabetes.

Eat healthy and be active

A healthy mother is more likely to give birth to a healthy baby, and both will help maintain a safe body weight.

Speak to your GP if you are taking medication

Some medications may affect pregnancy, and it is best to check with a GP as soon as possible

Source: Tommy’s

The figure was 61.1 per cent for 25 to 34-year-olds and just under 59 per cent for women older than 40.

Professor Nick Macklon, director of London Women’s Clinic and the University of Copenhagen, who was not involved in the study, said: ‘When we started encouraging women to take folic acid the main way was to sign them up in a room of a GP clinic, there was a very school masterly approach to it. We need to move away from that.

‘Going for a straight public service announcement is not going to reach some age groups.

‘There is an argument for putting folic acid messages on pregnancy tests or involving celebrities in semi-humorous campaigns.

‘It needs to be put across in a non-patronising way.’

The neural tube is a narrow sheath that folds and closes between the the third and fourth week of pregnancy to form the brain and spinal cord of the baby.

Neural tube defects mean the spine and brain or their protective coverings do not form properly. This can cause spina bfida, where children’s legs are paralysed or other conditions such as anencephaly, which can see babies born blind and deaf.

Neural tube defects affect up to one in 500 pregnancies worldwide, and supporters of fortification say adding folic acid to white flour and bread say it would save 165 to 500 babies a year in the UK.

Professor Macklon said he feared some women who had unsuccessfully tried to conceive over several months had become less rigorous about taking the vitamin.

He said: ‘We need to be aware of ‘folic fatigue’, when women have been trying to get pregnant for a long time but failing.

‘As clinicians we need to remember to keep asking patients and advising them to keep taking it even if they do not get pregnant.’

The study on folic acid focused on women interested in ovulation tests, and concludes that ‘different media may be required to get the message to younger conceivers’.

Dr Johnson said: ‘We want these figures to be much closer to 100 per cent because there are no health risks of taking folic acid and it is so important to take to prevent the risk of neural tube defects.’

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