Folic Acid Information

Folic acid is a B vitamin that is very important in the development of the new baby. If all women who can become pregnant consumed 0.4 milligrams (equivalent to 400 micrograms) of folic acid from at least a month prior to conception and during the first trimester of pregnancy, between 50-70 percent of neural tube defects (NTD) would be prevented. NTDs are disorders of the development of the brain and spinal cord. The most common NTD is spina bifida, or opening of the spine.

Women of childbearing age should include folic acid in their diets by eating foods high in folates and/or by taking a multivitamin containing 400 micrograms of folic acid. Folate-rich foods include dark green, leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, liver and organ meats, fortified cereals, and legumes. A large glass of orange juice and a bowl of fortified cereal provide about half the recommended daily amount of folic acid.

A woman who has had a child with a NTD is at the highest risk for recurrence and should see a physician before planning another pregnancy. Her physicians will prescribe a higher dosage of folic acid (4 milligrams or 4000 micrograms).

Women who are stringent dieters, drug users, heavy drinkers, smokers, or oral contraceptive users, might benefit from additional folic acid supplementation.