PERICONCEPTIONAL FOLIC-ACID - KNOWLEDGE AMONGST PATIENTS AND HEALTH-CARE WORKERS IN A LONDON TEACHING HOSPITAL

Objective. To assess knowledge of the role of periconceptional folic a cid supplementation in preventing neural tube defects and awareness of the Department of Health's recommendations. Setting. An inner city ge nitourinary medicine clinic at a London teaching hospital. Design. Ano nymous questionnaire. Subjects. One hundred consecutive female patient s and all doctors, nurses and health advisers. Results. Fifty per cent of the 46 staff surveyed would give correct, or partially correct, ad vice regarding periconceptional folic acid supplementation. Although 1 3 stall knew that Department of Health guidelines existed, only two do ctors and one nurse knew what they were. Two doctors considered perico nceptional folic acid contraindicated. Sixty per cent of women surveye d wanted another child in the future but 76 per cent of these women kn ew nothing of the recommendations or of the role of folic acid in prev enting neural tube defects. Seven of 52 women who had previously been pregnant had taken folic acid around conception. Conclusions. There is widespread ignorance of the role of folic acid in pregnancy amongst t he patients and health care professionals surveyed. The majority of wo men attending this genitourinary medicine clinic would like to become pregnant in the future and are therefore an appropriate population at whom to target information. Due to the unplanned nature of so many pre gnancies, recommendations which involve preconceptional planning may b e inadequate. We strongly support a government-led education campaign aimed at women and health care workers involved in sexual and reproduc tive health.