LETTERS: FOLIC-ACID EDUCATION KEY TO PREVENTION

To the editor:

On behalf of the March of Dimes, I would like to expand on U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson's response to the reader who was concerned about the Folic Acid Promotion and Birth Defects Prevention Act of 1999. Emerson did an excellent job of explaining that the bill is intended to be preventative, both economically and medically. Not only will an initial investment in the bill save taxpayers money, the dollars spent on this bill save babies.

Rarely throughout history have we been presented with a more dramatic opportunity to save and enhance lives. An inexpensive, easily accessible, little B vitamin -- folic acid -- can prevent up to 70 percent of neural-tube defects. These defects can be crippling (spina bifida) or even fatal (anencephaly). The biggest challenge we face is making sure every woman knows that she must have enough folic acid in her system at least four weeks before conception. It's in the very earliest weeks of pregnancy, often before a woman even know she's pregnant, that folic acid is most important.

The folic acid bill is key to educating women and preventing these tragic birth defects.

The March of Dimes thanks both Emerson and U.S. Sen. Christopher Bond for the work they have done on behalf of mothers and babies.

STEVE RUPP, ChairmanMarch of Dimes Greater Missouri ChapterSt. Louis