DEPARTMENTS OF LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AND EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2008--Continued -- (Senate - October 23, 2007)
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Mr. SALAZAR. The distinguished ranking member, Senator Specter, and I wish to engage in a colloquy about an important public health matter.
Folic acid is an essential ``B vitamin'' that plays a critical role in the body's natural processes for making new cells throughout the body. As the Labor/HHS appropriations committee has indicated in its committee report, folic acid fortification can play a critical role in reducing the incidences of serious birth defects, such as spina bifida. In that regard, according to research conducted by the Centers for Disease Control, since the implementation of the FDA's policies governing folic acid fortification in enriched cereal grain products, the prevalence of spina bifida and other neural tube defects has declined approximately 20 to 30 percent.
While this represents significant progress in the prevention of birth defects, the decline falls short of the national policy objective to achieve a 50 percent reduction by 2010. It also falls short of the 50 percent to 70 percent reduction in birth defects that the Public Health Service has estimated would result if all U.S. women of childbearing age consumed the recommended amount of folic acid daily.
Mr. HARKIN. Senator Salazar, I commend you for bringing this critical issue to my attention and to my Colleagues' attention. I agree with you that we must do all that we can to reduce serious birth defects.
Mr. SALAZAR. Thank you, Senator Harkin. Of great concern to me is that the scientific evidence indicates that the progress that has been made since the current fortification policy was adopted is distributed unevenly, and public health efforts have not been successful in reaching some of the population groups that are at highest risk of having a child affected by NTD birth defects. For example, research analyzing the government's 2001-2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data found that approximately 60 percent of non-Hispanic white women, and nearly 80 percent of Hispanic women and nearly 80 percent African American women consumed less than the recommended amount of folic acid daily.
CDC research suggests that current fortification policy is a barrier to fortifying the types of food consumed by diverse groups and may help explain the disparate results that have been achieved in diverse U.S. populations. In view of the inadequacy of folic acid intake that persists among U.S. women who are most at risk of having a child affected by NTD birth defects, there is a need for further study to evaluate whether greater improvements in the nutritional status of women and the prevention of NTDs can be achieved through the expansion of food and beverage fortification with folic acid.
Senator Specter, the statistics show that our current fortification policy is not reaching all populations. Do you agree that we need the CDC to study this issue further, so that we can take appropriate action based on those results?
Mr. SPECTER. As a longstanding advocate of prevention and education programs, Senator Salazar, I believe that the CDC should conduct critical public health research regarding our current folic acid fortification policies, so that we have a chance to meet our public health objectives of significantly reducing the occurrences of spina bifida and other birth defects.
Mr. SALAZAR. I am familiar with the distinguished Senator's long history of supporting public health prevention and education programs, and I ask that you work with me when we get to conference to add report language to the Labor, HHS and Education Appropriations bill that would direct the CDC to conduct a study of the additional disease prevention benefits to the U.S. population that would be gained from expanded folic acid fortification of the food and beverage supply consumed by populations currently at risk for inadequate folic acid intake. It is also my opinion that CDC should use public-private partnerships to facilitate that study.
Mr. HARKIN. Senator Salazar, I will work with you to expand folic acid fortification of foods and beverages.
Mr. SALAZAR. Thank you, Senator Harkin and Specter. I appreciate your interest in and dedication to addressing this critical public health matter.
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