Folic acid before and during pregnancy
You should take a 400 micrograms folic acid tablet every day before you’re pregnant and until you’re 12 weeks pregnant.
Folic acid can help prevent birth defects known as neural tube defects, including spina bifida.
If you did not take folic acid before you conceived, you should start as soon as you find out you’re pregnant.
You should also eat foods that contain folate (the natural form of folic acid), such as green leafy vegetables.
Some breakfast cereals and some fat spreads, such as margarine, may have folic acid added to them.
It’s difficult to get the amount of folate recommended for a healthy pregnancy from food alone, which is why it’s important to take a folic acid supplement.
Higher dose folic acid
Some women have a higher chance of having a pregnancy affected by a neural tube defect and are advised to take a higher dose of 5 milligrams (mg) of folic acid each day until they’re 12 weeks pregnant.
You may have a higher chance if:
you or the baby’s biological father have a neural tube defect
you or the baby’s biological father have a family history of neural tube defects
you have had a previous pregnancy affected by a neural tube defect
you have diabetes
you take anti-epilepsy medicine