Effects of a simple educational intervention in well-baby clinics on women's knowledge about and intake of folic acid supplements in the periconceptional period: a controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that a concise intervention to promote the preconception use of folic acid (FA) supplements among mothers who visit a well-baby clinic (WBC) for the 6-month check-up of their youngest child is effective. Effectiveness was measured as intention to use or actual use of FA supplements before a next pregnancy among women who expected to be pregnant within 0-12 months.

DESIGN: Controlled intervention study with independent samples of intervention and control mothers. The intervention took place at the 6-month visit. A post-intervention measurement was done in the intervention group and a comparable measurement in the control group at the 11-month check-up visit.

SETTING: The intervention, verbal and in writing, was implemented in four Dutch WBC and given by the WBC physician to the mothers who visited the WBC.

SUBJECTS: All mothers visiting the WBC were eligible for inclusion, unless they were unable to complete a questionnaire. The intervention group consisted of 198 (68 %) mothers recruited from 291 6-month intervention visits and the control group of 215 (84%) mothers recruited from 255 11-month normal visits.

RESULTS: In mothers who expected to be pregnant within 0-12 months, the proportion using or intending to use FA was 65% in the intervention group (n 49) v. 42% in the control group (n 43; difference 23%, 95% CI 4, 43%, P<0·05).

CONCLUSIONS: Health education intervention at the 6-month WBC visit is an effective means to promote the use of FA supplements or the intention to do so.