Evidence reaffirms that taking folic acid before and during pregnancy is a really good idea

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2023-08-02 01:00

International

PHOTO: Suhyeon Choi/Unsplash

A US task force has reviewed the latest evidence and reaffirmed its previous recommendation that anyone planning to become pregnant take a daily folic acid supplement, given the “high certainty” that it can reduce the risk of neural tube defects in one’s children. The critical period is to start taking 400 to 800 μg of folic acid daily at least one month before expected conception and to continue through the first two to three months of pregnancy. In an accompanying editorial, two UK researchers say most women around the world don’t supplement before pregnancy despite raised awareness, and having more countries fortifying certain foods, like flour, with folic acid would bring down the rate of neural tube defects in newborns.

News release

From: JAMA

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends that all persons planning to or who could become pregnant take a daily supplement containing 0.4 to 0.8 mg (400 to 800 μg) of folic acid. Neural tube defects are among the most common congenital malformations in the U.S., with an estimated 3,000 pregnancies affected each year. Many of these neural tube defects are caused by low folate levels in the body. The USPSTF routinely makes recommendations about the effectiveness of preventive care services and this recommendation is a reaffirmation of its 2017 recommendation statement.

Journal/
conference: JAMA

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: US Preventive Services Task Force, USA (See papers for full list of author affiliations)

Funder: The USPSTF is an independent, voluntary body. The US Congress mandates that the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) support the operations of the USPSTF. This research was funded under contract 75Q80120D00007, Task Order 01, from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), US Department of Health and Human Services, under a contract to support the USPSTF

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