Folic Acid: Most Important Health Messages

When it comes to folic acid, there are a handful of key messages health care providers should make sure their patients are aware of. 

• The March of Dimes recommends that all women of childbearing age (even those who aren't trying to get pregnant) take a multivitamin containing at least 400 micrograms (0.4 mg) of folic acid every day, especially before and during early pregnancy. Women should also eat a healthy diet rich in folate, the natural form of folic acid.
• Folic acid can help prevent birth defects of the brain and spinal cord called neural tube defects (NTDs). Folic acid works to prevent these birth defects only if taken before conception and during early pregnancy. However, nearly half of all pregnancies in the U.S. are unplanned. Additionally, most women don't get the recommended daily amount of folic acid.
• Some research has shown that folic acid also may help protect babies from certain heart defects.  
• If a woman has already had an NTD-affected pregnancy, she should take 4 milligrams (4000 micrograms) of folic acid daily. She should start taking this amount one month before she starts trying to get pregnant and continue through the first three months of pregnancy.

Protecting Babies Before Pregnancy
All women of childbearing age (even those that aren't trying to get pregnant) should take a multivitamin containing at least 400 micrograms of folic acid every day, especially before pregnancy and during early pregnancy. This may help reduce the risk of having a baby born with a type of birth defect of the brain or spine. Such birth defects are called neural tube defects (NTDs).

Most multivitamins sold at drug stores contain at least 400 micrograms. The label on the side of the bottle tells how much folic acid is in each vitamin pill.

Some cereals have been fortified with folic acid. The side of the box tells if the cereal contains 100% of the daily recommended amount of folic acid.

Folic acid is a B vitamin. Some foods are high in folate, the natural form of the vitamin. These foods include beans, leafy green vegetables and orange juice.

May 2007 (R 2/10)