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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