Why is Folic Acid Important?
Folic acid, or folate, is one of the most important prenatal vitamins because of its widespread benefits. Folic acid can reduce your baby’s risk of developing a neural tube defect, such as spina bifida, by up to 70 percent. Incredible fact: a fetus’s neural tube develops within the first month of pregnancy. So, it’s important to increase your folic acid intake as soon as you become pregnant—or even before! Taking between 400 and 600 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid daily can also reduce the risk of birth defects like cleft palate, cleft lip, and certain heart conditions.*
Sources:
https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-nutr-043020-091647