Acknowledgements

Thank you to Dr. I. D. Rusen and Ruth Kohut for their valuable comments on the text. Thanks also to the following individuals and their parent organizations for participation in a May 2000 workshop at which an earlier draft of this document was discussed:

Louise Aubrey, Health Canada
Wendy Burgoyne, Best Start
Carol Cameron, Canadian Association of Midwives
Bonnie Charbonneau, Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Association of Ontario
Cathy Chenhall, Nova Scotia Department of Health
Dr. Albert Chudley, Canadian College of Medical Geneticists
Sonya Corkum, The Hospital for Sick Children
Ema Ferreira, Département de pharmacie, Hôpital Ste-Justine
Helen Haresign, Dietitians of Canada
Micheline Ho, Health Canada
Dr. Anne Houstoun, College of Family Physicians of Canada
Dr. Ken Milne, Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada
Elizabeth Moreau, Canadian Paediatric Society
Dr. Pascale Morin, Université de Sherbrooke
Dr. Howard Morrison, Health Canada
Dr. Kate O'Connor, Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington Health Unit
Colleen Talbot, Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Association of Canada

Our mission is to help the people of Canada maintain and improve their health. Health Canada

Suggested citation: Van Allen MI, McCourt C, Lee NS. Preconception health: folic acid for the primary prevention of neural tube defects. A resource document for health professionals, 2002. Ottawa, Ontario: Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada, 2002 (Cat. Number H39-607/ 2002E).

© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, represented by the Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada, 2002.

ISBN 0-662-31817-X Cat. No. H39-607/ 2002E 2

Preconception Health Folic Acid for the Primary Prevention of Neural Tube Defects A Resource Document for Health Professionals, 2002

Margot I. Van Allen, MD, MSc, FRCPC Department of Medical Genetics University of British Columbia / Catherine McCourt, MD, MHA, FRCPC Centre for Healthy Human Development, Health Canada

Nora S. Lee, MSc Food Directorate, Health Canada

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