Is there a way to prevent neural tube defects?
Research has shown that getting enough folic acid before and during pregnancy can prevent most neural tube defects. The U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) recommends that all women of childbearing age, who are capable of becoming pregnant, get 400 micrograms of folic acid each day. The neural tube develops in the first four weeks of pregnancy, often before many women even know they are pregnant. For this reason, the PHS recommends folic acid to all women of childbearing age, even those not trying to get pregnant.
