Why do you need to take folic acid before pregnancy?
Folic acid is a B vitamin.
Research has shown that women who increase their intake of folic acid when their baby's spine is developing, reduce the risk of their baby having spina bifida or another neural tube defect.
Spina bifida occurs when one or more bones of the spine fail to develop normally, resulting in damage to the spinal cord and the nerves, with varying effects.
The best way to reduce the chance of your baby having such problems is to take a supplement of 400 micrograms (mcg) folic acid daily.
This should be started as soon as you stop using contraception, ie before conception, and continued until the end of the 12th week of pregnancy.
It is difficult to predict when pregnancy will occur, and development of a baby's spine begins very early on.
If you were to wait until you were sure you were pregnant before starting the supplements, it might mean that levels of folic acid were low at a critical time.
The NetDoctor Medical Team
Other Qs & As