Development and evaluation of an intervention in the well-baby clinic to inform women on periconceptional use of folic acid

Background

Periconceptional use of folic acid reduced the prevalence of fetal neural tube defects by 70%. Campaigns to inform women of this protective effect have been most successfull for women with a western European background and with a high level of education. This project aimed to reach women with a low education level as well as non-western migrants. The goal was to develop an intervention in youth health care to stimulate mothers after the birth of a child to use folic acid before and during subsequent pregnancies. The intervention consists of written material supported by an oral message. The intervention had to fit in the setting of the well baby clinic and should not be very time consuming. It had to be acceptable to health workers of the well baby clinic so that other well baby clinics would be prepared to use the intervention.