Folic Acid and Pregnancy

Women who daily get 0.4 milligrams of folic acid prior to conception and during early pregnancy, can reduce the risk that their baby will born with a serious neural tube defect.

Folic acid, also known as folate, is a B Vitamin (B9) found mostly in leafy green vegetables like kale and spinach, dried peas, dried beans, enriched grains, and orange juice.  

The most common neural tube defects are Spina Bifida (an incomplete closure of the spinal cord and spinal column), anencephaly (severe underdevelopment of the brain), and encephalocele (when brain tissue protrudes out to the skin from an abnormal opening in the skull).