Table 4.
Physicians’ practice regarding folic acid supplement recommendations for low-risk women.
| Practice Statement | n (%) |
|---|---|
| Which option best describes your clinical practice? | |
| I follow the guidelines, which are in line with most available PVS | 41 (53.3) |
| I do not follow the guidelines because most PVS are not in line | 2 (2.6) |
| I follow the guidelines and recommend non-PVS with correct FA-content | 4 (5.2) |
| I do not follow the guidelines and recommend non-PVS regular supplements | 1 (1.3) |
| I don’t know | 29 (37.7) |
| Supplement I most often recommend | |
| 400 µg | 23 (29.9) |
| 1,000 µg | 42 (54.6) |
| >1,000 µg | 4 (5.2) |
| Any prenatal multivitamin supplement | 8 (10.4) |
| Reason for recommendation | |
| I recommend a well-known brand name | 2 (2.6) |
| Because of supplement composition/content | 5 (6.5) |
| Because it is the women’s preference | 19 (24.7) |
| Because it is covered by many insurance companies | 4 (5.2) |
| Because of lower cost | 12 (15.6) |
| For no particular reason | 35 (45.5) |
*PVS = prenatal vitamin/mineral supplements; FA = folic acid.