§247b–11 Effects of folic acid in prevention of birth defects

Summary

The Health and Human Services Secretary, through the CDC director, must expand and strengthen programs (directly or by funding others) to do several things. The programs must teach health workers and the public how folic acid can prevent birth defects and encourage every woman who could become pregnant to take a daily folic acid supplement. They must support research on the best ways to teach and increase folic acid use, study how folic acid affects birth defects (including cleft lip, cleft palate, and heart defects), and carry out tracking and study of birth defects such as neural tube defects. The Secretary must work with states and with public and private groups (like national nonprofits, health professionals, and health insurers). The Secretary may give technical help to public and nonprofit groups and must evaluate the programs to see how well they work for different groups using surveys, blood folate tests, and monitoring infants with neural tube defects. Money may be provided in whatever amounts are needed for each fiscal year 2001 through 2005.