Public health
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3 days agoCalifornia's Tortilla Law Targets Birth Defects. Other States May Follow | KQED
California mandates folic acid in corn masa flour to address public health disparities in Latino communities.
State data show that between 2017 and 2019 - the latest years for which state data is available - about 28% of Latinas reported taking folic acid the month before becoming pregnant. White women took the vitamin at a higher rate, with 46% of them reporting consuming folic acid, according to the California Department of Public Health. This puts Latinas at higher risk of having a baby born with neural tube defects - defects of the brain and spinal cord. Some examples of that are conditions like spina bifida and anencephaly.
State data show that, between 2017 and 2019 - the latest years for which state data is available - about 28% of Latinas reported taking folic acid the month before becoming pregnant. White women took the vitamin at a higher rate, with 46% of them reporting consuming folic acid, according to the California Department of Public Health.