What Should You Know?
![Photo of women who should be taking folic acid every day](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090814082319im_/http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/folicacid/images/Collage-of-Women-121745.gif)
If a woman has enough folic acid in her body before and during pregnancy, it can help prevent major birth defects of the baby’s brain and spine. Women need 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid every day.
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- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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