How much folic acid is needed?
• In 1992, the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) recommended that all women of childbearing age consume 400 micrograms (0.4 milligrams) of folic acid every day to reduce their risk of having an NTD-affected pregnancy. • For women who have had an NTD-affected pregnancy, the PHS recommends consulting with a physician about taking a much larger amount of folic acid, i.e., 4000 micrograms (4 milligrams), starting one month before conception and continuing throughout the first trimester. • In 1998, the Institute of Medicine recommended that to reduce their risk for an NTD-affected pregnancy, women capable of becoming pregnant should take 400 micrograms of “synthetic folic acid” daily, from fortified foods or supplements or a combination of the two, in addition to consuming food folate from a varied diet. For more information, contact your local chapter of March of Dimes, or the Reproductive and Perinatal Health Services, Maternal, Child and Community Health Services, Division of Family Healt
