Condition
Prevention of birth defects with folic acid
David Cohen, M.D.Published 9 March 20051 min read
Key points
- There is good evidence that the risk of certain birth defects (spina bifida and anencephaly) are reduced by taking folic acid 400 micrograms daily from 1 month before conception through the first trimester of pregnancy.
- Therefore, if you would like to become pregnant in the near future, you should take a multivitamin with this amount of folic acid.
Alternative names
Folic acid and birth defect prevention
Information
Question:
Does folic acid use help prevent birth defects?
Answer:
There is good evidence that the risk of certain birth defects (spina bifida and anencephaly) are reduced by taking folic acid 400 micrograms daily from 1 month before conception through the first trimester of pregnancy. Therefore, if you would like to become pregnant in the near future, you should take a multivitamin with this amount of folic acid.
Written and revised by
David Cohen, M.D.
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