Power Me A2Z’s free folic acid helps keep Arizona parents & babies healthy

For someone who can get pregnant, now is a great time to think about making healthy choices, both for you and your future baby. Even if you don’t plan to have a baby soon, it is important to take a multivitamin with folic acid so you can be your best self when you do get pregnant.

The Power Me A2Z folic acid program, through the Bureau of Nutrition and Physical Activity at ADHS, provides a free three-month supply of multivitamins with folic acid to people in Arizona who can get pregnant.

While folic acid helps your hair shine, nails grow, and skin glow, it also helps prevent certain types of birth defects when taken at least one month before pregnancy. Since about half of all pregnancies are not planned, now is the time for people who can get pregnant to start taking a multivitamin with 400 mcg folic acid.

Visit Power Me A2Z to place your FREE order for multivitamins with folic acid and don’t forget to share our informative, interactive website with others who could use the program.

Community partners can also order vitamins and our free educational materials in bulk to share with their clients. These vitamins are not for pregnant people, but are to be taken before or between pregnancies.

January was Birth Defects Awareness Month and there are many ways to prevent issues during pregnancy that can impact your baby’s health. According to the CDC, although not all birth defects can be prevented, people can increase their chances of having a healthy baby by managing health conditions and adopting healthy behaviors, like taking a multivitamin, before becoming pregnant.

In the 11 years since the Power Me A2Z program launched, we have distributed over 350,000 bottles of multivitamins. These free multivitamins have positively impacted people in Arizona who can get pregnant by providing folic acid to help reduce birth defects and improve overall health.

The Power Me A2Z website has information on topics that are important to Arizonans ages 18 to 45 who can get pregnant, including stress, nutrition, being active, avoiding harmful substances, pregnancy planning, and more.

Anyone with questions about the program or folic acid can reach out to the program at [email protected].

By Celia Nabor|2024-02-01T15:58:50-07:00February 1st, 2024|Prevention|Comments Off

About the Author: Celia Nabor

Celia Nabor is the Assistant Director for Prevention Services at the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS). Since 2002, she has administered local, state, and Federal programs for three Arizona counties and ADHS. She has served in various leadership roles at ADHS including State WIC Director, Bureau Chief of Nutrition and Physical Activity, Office Chief of Vital Records, Program Integrity Manager, Project Manager in Newborn Screening and Lean Management Coach. In her current role, she oversees more than 60 public health programs within the Bureau of Assessment and Evaluation (BAE), Bureau of Chronic Disease and Health Promotions (BCDHP), Bureau of Nutrition and Physical Activity (BNPA), and the Bureau of Women's and Children's Health (BWCH).