Sean Moloughney, Editor01.17.17
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends that all women who are planning or capable of pregnancy should take a daily supplement containing 0.4 to 0.8 mg (400-800 µg) of folic acid in order to prevent birth defects. The updated recommendation, which followed an examination of new evidence on the benefits of folic acid supplementation, was published in JAMA on Jan. 10.
Folic acid is required for the metabolism of specific biochemical reactions and cell division in the body. It plays a significant role in the development of the nervous system in the growing fetus. Moreover, it is involved in the formation of red blood cells, supporting the normal development of the neural tube, which is a part of the embryo that eventually forms the brain and spinal cord.
Research in 1991 found that women who took folic acid supplements prior to conception reduced their risk for having a child with spina bifida or other neural tube defects by more than 50%.
The next year the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) recommended that all women of childbearing ag
Folic acid is required for the metabolism of specific biochemical reactions and cell division in the body. It plays a significant role in the development of the nervous system in the growing fetus. Moreover, it is involved in the formation of red blood cells, supporting the normal development of the neural tube, which is a part of the embryo that eventually forms the brain and spinal cord.
Research in 1991 found that women who took folic acid supplements prior to conception reduced their risk for having a child with spina bifida or other neural tube defects by more than 50%.
The next year the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) recommended that all women of childbearing ag
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