Los Angeles – On Tuesday, July 11, 2006, the Spina Bifida Association of America (SBA); the National Council of La Raza (NCLR); Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.; and GRUMA, S.A. de C.V., the world’s largest producer of corn flour and tortillas, will announce their commitment to fighting Spina Bifida in the U.S. The announcement will be made during NCLR’s Annual Conference, which runs July 8–11 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Research indicates that Hispanic women in the U.S. are 1.5-2 times more likely to deliver babies with neural tube defects than non-Hispanic Whites. Folic acid can reduce the risk of Spina Bifida by as much as 70%.

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