If a woman consumes 400 micrograms of folic acid every day, she can help prevent birth defects of the brain and spine. Get 400 micrograms of folic acid every day before and during pregnancy.
Folic acid is a B vitamin. Our bodies use it to make new cells. Everyone needs folic acid, but it is particularly important for women who can become pregnant! If a woman has enough folic acid in her body before she is pregnant, it can help prevent some major birth defects of the baby's brain and spine. These birth defects are called neural tube defects.
CDC and the US Public Health Service urge every woman who could become pregnant to consume 400 micrograms (400 mcg) of folic acid every day.
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Neural tube birth defects of the brain and spine happen in the first few weeks of pregnancy, often before a woman finds out that she is pregnant. All women should get in the habit of taking folic acid daily even when they are not planning to get pregnant. For folic acid to help, you need to take it every day - start before you become pregnant and continue taking it during pregnancy.
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National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities:
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