Chartula [UNCG School of Nursing newsletter, 2001]

              The School of Nursing's
graduate program in
nurse anesthesia continues to rank as one of the
nation's top ten programs. US News & World
Report ranked UNCG's
program eighth in both
1998 and 2000.
The UNCG School of
Nursing has been named
an American Red Cross
Five Star Sponsor. The
naming recognized the
School for sponsoring
blood drives on campus.
The School of Nursing
celebrated its thirty-fifth
anniversary with a luncheon April 20. The School
began in 1966 by establishing a four-year baccalaureate program in
nursing.
This summer, the School
of Nursing's home,
Moore Building, will be
closed for repairs.
Several faculty members
moved to Park Building
in mid-April in preparation for the closing.
Several staff members,
including Dean Lynne
Pearcey, moved to the
Becher/Weaver Building
on Northridge Street.
Phone numbers for the
School's offices will
remain the same during
the closing, and faculty
and staff will return to
Moore Building in
August before the fall
semester begins.
School    of   Nursing
summer   2001
j£ Nurse practitioners
•~ provide care for aging
C    population
Student honored
by nursing society
Dr. Sandra Reed
retires after thirty-
three years
Alumni Association
continues work with
students    (7r)^\
All women need to know
Associate professor secures March of Dimes grant to educate more
women about the power of folic acid to prevent birth defects
By taking folic acid supplements, women can
prevent some of the most severe birth defects in
their unborn babies.
With a $41,000 grant from the March of
Dimes, Dr. Heidi Krowchuk, an associate professor of nursing, plans to educate female college
students about the importance of taking folic acid
supplements. She said all women of child-bearing
age should take folic acid, even if they don't plan
to have a family in the near future.
"It's pretty much a magic bullet," Dr. Krowchuk
said. "Studies have shown consuming .4 milligrams of folic acid per day will prevent 50 to
75 percent of neural tube defects. We think we
can prevent them from occurring if we can get
women to take folic acid
preconceptionally."
The Centers for
Disease Control place the
effectiveness even higher,
at 85 percent, she added.
Neural tube defects
develop very early in
pregnancy, often before
women suspect they are
pregnant, and 60 percent
of all pregnancies are
unplanned. That's why
folic acid should become
part of the daily routine
for every woman of
child-bearing age,
Dr. Krowchuk said.
"You need to take it
before you even think
THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA
GREENSBORO
about getting pregnant," she said. "The idea is to
get women in the habit when they're young, so
that when they do make the decision to become
pregnant, their child will be protected."
Neural tube defects include spina bifida, in
which the spinal cord is deformed; myelomenin-
gocoele, in which the spinal cord is exposed;
and anencephaly, in which the brain does not
develop.
Folate and folic acid are different terms for the
same B-vitamin. Folate is a natural substance
found in fruits and vegetables including orange
juice, green leafy vegetables, and pinto beans. Folic
acid is the synthetic B-vitamin form used in vitamin supplements. It is absorbed better than folate,
Dr. Krowchuk said.
In addition to preventing birth defects, studies
indicate folic acid taken
over the long term offers
other benefits to women
and men alike, including
helping to prevent colon
cancer and strokes, she
added.
Dr. Krowchuk hopes
to reach at least 23,000
college women with her
campaign this year. She
will use print and electronic media, as well as
20-minute presentations
in residence halls and
information booths at
campus events.