Skip to content
Every Woman NC

Links for More Resources

References

The March of Dimes North Carolina Preconception Health Campaign is committed to using factual information and data to support our interventions and programs. As a health care provider, we know this is important to you, too, as medical research is always changing and developing. We’ve created a list of the following references to provide you with a large and accurate picture of folic acid research. Generally, these articles are from peer-reviewed journals or government publications.

Additional links and resources are listed in the Public Health Programs section of our website.

Preconception Health

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2006). Recommendations to improve preconception health and health care — United States: A report of the CDC/ATSDR Preconception Care Work Group and the Select Panel on Preconception Care. MMWR, 55(No. RR-06); 1-23.

Michael, C. (2007). Recommendations for preconception care. Am Fam Physician, 76, 397-400.

Moos, M.K. & Bernstein, P. The National Preconception Curriculum & Resources Guide for Clinicians, Module 1: Preconception care: What it is and what it isn’t. (2009).

Moos, M.K, et. al (2008). Healthier women, healthier reproductive outcomes: Recommendations for the routine care of all women of reproductive age. AJOG, 199(6 Suppl 2):S280-9.

Preconception care: Healthy women today, healthy babies tomorrow. National Association of County & City Health Officials issue brief.

Verbiest, S., Cox, E., et al. (2007). Looking back, moving forward: North Carolina’s path to healthier women and babies.

Reproductive Life Planning (RLP)

Coming soon!

Healthy Weight

Abenhaim, H. A., Kinch, R. A., Morin, L., Benjamin, A., & Usher, R. (2007). Effect of prepregnancy body mass index categories on obstetrical and neonatal outcomes. Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics, 275(1), 39-43.

Baeten, J., Bukusi, E., & Lambe, M. (2001). Pregnancy complications and outcomes among overweight and obese nulliparous women. American Journal of Public Health, 91(3), 436.

Bardia, A., Holtan, S. G., Slezak, J. M., & Thompson, W. G. (2007). Diagnosis of obesity by primary care physicians and impact on obesity management. Paper presented at the Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 82(8) 927.

Bhattacharya, S., Campbell, D. M., Liston, W. A., & Bhattacharya, S. (2007). Effect of body mass index on pregnancy outcomes in nulliparous women delivering singleton babies. BMC Public Health, 7, 168. doi:10.1186/1471-2458-7-168

Bodnar, L. M., Ness, R. B., Markovic, N., & Roberts, J. M. (2005). The risk of preeclampsia rises with increasing prepregnancy body mass index. Annals of Epidemiology, 15(7), 475-482.

Boyle, M., Lawrence, S., Schwarte, L., Samuels, S., & McCarthy, W. J. (2009). Health care providers’ perceived role in changing environments to promote healthy eating and physical activity: Baseline findings from health care providers participating in the healthy eating, active communities program. Pediatrics, 123(Supplement), S293.

Budd, G. M., Mariotti, M., Graff, D., & Falkenstein, K. (2009). Health care professionals’ attitudes about obesity: An integrative review. Applied Nursing Research, doi:10.1016/j.apnr.2009.05.001

Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults. National Institutes of Health. NIH Publication NO. 98-4083, September 1998.

Cnattingius, S., Bergstrom, R., Lipworth, L., & Kramer, M. S. (1998). Prepregnancy weight and the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. The New England Journal of Medicine, 338(3), 147-152. doi:10.1056/NEJM199801153380302

Doherty, D., Magann, E., Francis, J., Morrison, J., & Newnham, J. (2006). Pre-pregnancy body mass index and pregnancy outcomes. International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics, 95(3), 242-247.

Dunkley, A. J., Stone, M. A., Patel, N., Davies, M. J., & Khunti, K. (2009). Waist circumference measurement: Knowledge, attitudes and barriers in patients and practitioners in a multi-ethnic population. Family Practice, doi:10.1093/fampra/cmp048

Forman-Hoffman, V., Little, A., & Wahls, T. (2006). Barriers to obesity management: A pilot study of primary care clinicians. BMC Family Practice, 7, 35. doi:10.1186/1471-2296-7-35

Galuska, D. A., Will, J. C., Serdula, M. K., & Ford, E. S. (1999). Are health care professionals advising obese patients to lose weight? JAMA, 282(16), 1576.

Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. (2009). Weight gain during pregnancy: Reexamining the guidelines. Washington, D.C.: The National Academies Press.

Jensen, D. M., Damm, P., Sørensen, B., Mølsted-Pedersen, L., Westergaard, J. G., Ovesen, P., & Beck-Nielsen, H. (2003). Pregnancy outcome and prepregnancy body mass index in 2459 glucose-tolerant danish women. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 189(1), 239-244.

Kellner, S (2010). Maternal Weight: An opportunity to impact infant mortality in North Carolina. Unpublished.

Kim, S. Y., Dietz, P. M., England, L., Morrow, B., & Callaghan, W. M. (2007). Trends in pre-pregnancy obesity in nine states, 1993-2003. Obesity, 15(4)

Lutfiyya, M. N., Nika, B., Ng, L., Tragos, C., Won, R., & Lipsky, M. S. (2008). Primary prevention of overweight and obesity: An analysis of national survey data. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 23(6), 821-823.

Odell, L. D. (1945). The overweight obstetric patient. Journal of the American Medical Association, 128, 87-88,89,90.

O’Donnell, D. C., Brown, C. M., & Dastani, H. B. (2006). Barriers to counseling patients with obesity: A study of texas community pharmacists. Journal of the American Pharmacists Association, 46(4), 465-471.

Office of Disease Prevention & Health Promotion, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2009). Developing healthy people 2020: Maternal, infant and child health. Retrieved February 02, 2010, from https://www.healthypeople.gov.libproxy.lib.unc.edu/HP2020/Objectives/ViewObjective.aspx?Id=184&TopicArea=Maternal%2c+Infant+and+Child+Health&Objective=MICH+HP2020%E2%80%9315&TopicAreaId=32

Potter, M. B., Vu, J. D., & Croughan-Minihane, M. (2001). Weight management: What patients want from their primary care physicians. Journal of Family Practice, 50(6), 513-519.

Power, M. L., Cogswell, M. E., & Schulkin, J. (2006). Obesity prevention and treatment practices of US obstetrician-gynecologists. Obstetrics & Gynecology, 108(4), 961.

Rosenberg, T. J., Garbers, S., Chavkin, W., & Chiasson, M. A. (2003). Prepregnancy weight and adverse perinatal outcomes in an ethnically diverse population. Obstetrics & Gynecology, 102(5, Part 1), 1022.

Ruelaz, A. R., Diefenbach, P., Simon, B., Lanto, A., Arterburn, D., & Shekelle, P. G. (2007). Perceived barriers to weight management in primary care—perspectives of patients and providers. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 22(4), 518-522.

Waring, M. E., Roberts, M. B., Parker, D. R., & Eaton, C. B. (2009). Documentation and management of overweight and obesity in primary care. The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, 22(5), 544.

Yeh, J., & Shelton, J. A. (2005). Increasing prepregnancy body mass index: Analysis of trends and contributing variables. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 193(6), 1994-1998.

Landmark Folic Acid Studies

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (1992). Recommendations for the use of folic acid to reduce the number of cases of spina bifida and other neural tube defects. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 41, 1-7.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2007). Folate status in women of childbearing Age, by race/ethnicity — United States, 1999-2000, 2001-2002, and 2004-2004. MMWR, 55(51), 1370-80.

Czeizel, A.E., & Dudas, I. (1992). Prevention of the first occurrence of neural tube defects by periconceptional vitamin supplementation. N Engl J Med, 327, 1832-5.

Elkin, A.C., & Higham, J. (2000). Folic acid supplements are more effective than increased dietary folate intake in elevating serum folate levels. BJOG, 102(2), 285-9.

Grosse, S.D., & Waitzman, N.J. (2005). Reevaluating the benefits of folic acid fortification in the United States: Economic analysis, regulation, and public health. Am J Public Health, 95, 1917-22.

Institute of Medicine, Food and Nutrition Board. (1999). Dietary reference intakes: Thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin B12, pantothenic acid, biotin, and choline. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

MRC Vitamin Study Research Group. (1991). Prevention of neural tube defects: Results of medical research council vitamin study. The Lancet, 338, 131-7.

Mulinare J., Cordeo J.F., Erickson J.D., et. al. (1988). Periconceptional use of multivitamins and the occurrence of neural tube defects. JAMA, 260,3141-5.

Smithells, R.W., Seller, M.J., Harris, R., et al. (1983). Further experiences of vitamin supplementation for prevention of neural tube defect recurrences. The Lancet, 1, 1027.

Williams, J.L., Abelman, S.M., Fassett, E.M., Stone, C.E., Petrini, J.R., Damus, K., & Mulinare, J. (2006). Health care provider knowledge and practices regarding folic acid, United States, 2002-2003. Matern Child Health J. Sep, 10(5 Suppl), S67-72.

Women’s Knowledge and Behavior Regarding Folic Acid

Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2001). Are women with recent live births aware of the benefits of folic acid? Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 50(06), 1-14.

Gallup Organization and March of Dimes (2008). Improving Preconception Health: Women’s Knowledge and Use of Folic Acid.

Gallup Organization and March of Dimes (2007). Improving Preconception Health: Women’s Knowledge and Use of Folic Acid.

Gallup Organization and March of Dimes (2005). Folic acid and the prevention of birth defects: A national survey of pre-pregnancy awareness and behavior among women of childbearing age 1995-2005.

Meyer, R.E., Wall, A., Morgan, A., et al. (2002). Knowledge and use of folic acid among North Carolina women. NC State Center for Health Statistics. NCMJ, 63(1), 18-22.

Bentley, T.G.K., PhD, Willett, W.C., MD, DrPH, Weinstein, M.C., PhD, & Kuntz, K.M., ScD (2006). Population-level changes in folate intake by age, gender, and race/ethnicity after folic acid fortification. Am J Public Health, 96.

Pfeiffer, C.M., etc al. (2007). Trends in blood folate and vitamin B-12 concentrations in the United States, 1988–2004. Am J Clin Nutr; 86:718 –27.

Yang, Q.H., et al. (2007). Race-ethnicity differences in folic acid intake in women of childbearing age in the United States after folic acid fortification: findings from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2001–2002. Am J Clin Nutr, 85, 1409–16.

Neural Tube Defects

Carmichael, S.L., Shaw, G.M., Neri, E., Schaffer, D.M., & Selvin, S. (2002). Physical activity and risk of neural tube defects. Matern Child Health J, 6(3), 151-7.

Carmichael, S.L., Shaw, G.M., et al. (2003). Dieting behaviors and risk of neural tube defects. Am J Epidemiol, 158, 1127–31.

Hernadez-Diaz, S., Werler, M.M., Walker, A.M., et al. (2000). Folic acid antagonists during pregnancy and the risk of birth defects. NEJM, 343, 1608-14.

Little, J., & Elwood, J.M. (1991). Epidemiology of neural tube defects. In M. Kiely (Ed.), Reproductive and perinatal epidemiology (pp. 251-336). Boca Raton:CRC Press.

Ouyang, L., Grosse, S.D., Armour, B.S., & Waitzman, N.J. (2007). Health care expenditures of children and adults with spina bifida in a privately insured U.S. population. Birth Defects Research (Part A), 79, 552-8.

Ray, J.G., Wyatt, P.R., Thompson, M.D., et al. (2007). Vitamin B12 and the risk of neural tube defects in a folic-acid-fortified population. Epidemiology, 18, 362-6.

Shaw, G.M., Velie, E.M., & Schaffer, D. (1996). Risk of neural tube defect-affected pregnancies among obese women. JAMA, 275, 1093-6.

Waller, K.D., Shaw, G.M., Rasmussen, S.A., et al. (2007). Prepregnancy obesity as a risk factor for structural birth defects. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med, 161(8), 745-50.

Folic Acid and the Prevention of Other Birth Defects

Badovinac, R.L., Werler, M.M., Williams. P., et al. (2007). Folic acid-containing supplement consumption during pregnancy and risk for oral clefts: A meta-analysis. Birth Defects Res A Clin Mol Teratol, 79(1), 8-15.

Jenkins, K.J., MD, MPH, et al. (2007). Noninherited risk factors and congenital cardiovascular defects: Current knowledge. A scientific statement from the American Heart Association Council on Cardiovascular Disease in the Young. Endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Circulation, Vol. 115.

Wilcox, A.J., Lie, R.T., Solvoll, K., et al. (2007). Folic acid supplements and the risk of facial clefts: A national population based case-control study. BMJ, 334, 433-4.

Yazdy, M.M., Honein, M.A., & Xing, J. (2007). Reduction in orofacial clefts following folic acid fortification of the U.S. grain supply. Birth Defects Res A Clin Mol Teratol, 79(1), 16- 23.

Folic Acid’s Role in Disease Prevention

Bazzano, L.A., Jiang, H., Ogden, L.G., et al. (2002). Dietary intake of folate and risk of stroke in US men and women: NHANES I Epidemiologic Follow-Up Study Stroke. 2002 May, 33(5), 1188-9.

Bazzano, L.A., Reynolds, K., Holder, K.N., & He, J. (2006). Effect of folic acid supplementation on risk of cardiovascular diseases: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. JAMA, 296, 2720-6.

Cole, B.F., et al. (2007). Folic acid for the prevention of colorectal adenomas. JAMA, 297, 2351-9.

Fuchs, C.S., et al. (2002). The influence of folate and multivitamin use on the familial risk of colon cancer in women. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, Vol. 11, 227-34.

Hackam, D.G., Peterson, J.C., Spence, J.D. (2000). Effects of vitamin therapy on progression of carotid atherosclerosis in patients with homocysteine levels above and below 14 micromole. L. American Journal of Hypertension.

Wang, X., Qin, X., et al. (2007). Efficacy of folic acid supplementation in stroke prevention: A meta-analysis. The Lancet, 369, 1876–82.

North Carolina Research

deRosset, L., Mullenix, A., Zhang, L.Multivitamins, folic acid and birth defects: Knowledge, beliefs and behaviors of Hispanics in North Caroina. Am J Health Educ. 2009; 40(3): 155-164.

Morgan, A., Randolph, L., Meyer, R., Powers, K., & Verbiest, S. (2000). North Carolina Birth Defects Monitoring Program Surveillance Report. NC Division of Public Health.

Morgan, L., Major, J., Meyer, R. & Mullenix, A. (2009). Multivitamin Use Among Non-Pregnant Females of Childbearing Age in the Western North Carolina Multivitamin Distribution Program. NC Med J, 70(5), 386-90.

Meyer, R., & Brown, A.B. (2004). Folic acid and birth defects prevention: A public health success story.  NC Med J, 65(3), 157-8.

Wall, A., & Meyer, R. (2006). Birth defects in North Carolina: A report by the North Carolina Birth Defects Monitoring Program, State Center for Health Statistics, Division of Public Health, and Department of Health and Human Services.

Multivitamin Supplements

Bodnar, L.M., Tang, G., Ness, R.B., Harger, G., & Roberts, J.M. (2006). Periconceptional multivitamin use reduces the risk of preeclampsia. Am J Epidemiol, 164(5), 470-7.

Godfrey, J.R. (2007). Toward optimal health: Meir Stampfer, M.D., Dr.P.H., discusses multivitamin and mineral supplementation for women. Journal of Women’s Health, 16(7), 959-62.

Goh, Y.I., Bollano, E., Einarson, T.R., & Koren, G. (2007). Prenatal multivitamin supplementation and rates of pediatric cancers: A meta-analysis. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 81(5), 685-91.

Sanghvi, T., Van Ameringen, M., Baker, J., & Fiedler, J. (2007). Food and Nutrition Bulletin, 28(1 suppl). Tokyo: United Nations University Press.

Special Topic Publications

Continuing Education and Training

Before Between and Beyond Pregnancy – The National Preconception Curriculum and Resources for Clinicians

  • Preconception Health Promotion: A Focus for Women’s Wellness

First Time Motherhood/New Parent Initiative Health Care Provider Trainings

  • Reproductive Life Planning
  • Folic Acid
  • Health Literacy and Cultural Competency
  • NC Family Planning Waiver
  • Cultural Competency: Serving American Indian Patients
  • Women’s Mood Disorders
  • Contraceptive Methods for Women with Chronic Medical Conditions
  • Healthy Weight, Healthy Women

Links to More Resources

  • American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
  • American College of Sports Medicine
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
    • Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
  • Eat Smart Move More North Carolina
  • Every Woman Southeast
  • FolicAcid.net: A Guide for Health Professionals
  • Maternal and Child Health Library
  • National Council on Folic Acid
  • National Library of Medicine MedlinePlus
  • National Women’s Health Resource Center
  • North Carolina Women’s Health Information Center
  • Nutrition.gov
  • Obesity Prevention Project
  • UNC Center for Maternal and Infant Health
  • United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
  • Web MD

Free Patient Materials and Resources

Start making a difference in your patients’ lives! Take the first step toward educating them about multivitamins and folic acid. Our award-winning materials are colorful, current and appeal to all sorts of women.

You can also contact a regional coordinator who can perform an in-service presentation and provide materials. Contact us to become an Office Champion today!