Can taking Folic Acid help prevent birth defects?
The most common of the birth defects that folic acid can prevent is spina bifida, which is the failure of the spine to close properly during the first month of pregnancy, often before a woman even knows she is pregnant. This defect now occurs in approximately one out of every 1000 pregnancies in the U.S., according to the Spina Bifida Association of America. Some research has shown that folic acid may help protect your baby from other birth defects of the heart, limbs and face. In addition, studies show that folic acid may also help protect women and men from heart disease, cervical and colon cancer, and possibly, breast cancer.
