HINT: In order to help
prevent neural tube defects, folic acid must be taken before and during the
first few months of pregnancy. Women need to get enough folic acid every day
throughout their reproductive years. To prevent neural tube defects, a woman
must take folic acid every day at least one month before she conceives and
continue taking it through the first trimester (three months) of pregnancy. All
women capable of becoming pregnant - not just those planning a pregnancy -
should consume enough folic acid every day, because half of all the pregnancies
in the United States are unplanned. Remember, neural tube defects occur before
many women know that they are pregnant.
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