Folic Acid and Pregnancy
By: Lindsey Bryant, KARK 4 News
Updated: January 31, 2008
New research suggests women should be taking folic acid supplements to cut down on the risk for premature birth -- long before they ever become pregnant.
Researchers say women taking folic acid supplementation for at least one year before conception translated into a 50- to 70-percent reduced risk for pre-term deliveries, particularly for very early deliveries. When taken just before and during pregnancy, folic acid is also known to reduce
the risk for birth defects of the brain and spinal cord.


