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| |    Folate Supplements Before and During Pregnancy by Marjorie Greenfield, M.D. reviewed by Marjorie Greenfield, M.D. What is folic acid? Folic acid (folate) is a vitamin in the B-vitamin family, found in dark leafy green vegetables and in fortified cereals. Because of the known association of folate deficiency and spina bifida (a problem of spine development) in the fetus, a 400 microgram folate supplement is recommended, starting at the time of conception. This amount of folate is found in over-the-counter folate pills and in prenatal vitamins. Even women with a healthy diet should be on folate supplementation. When should folic acid supplementation begin? It is most important to have the folate in your system at the time of conception, and the weeks right after that, when the baby's spine is forming. Since many pregnancies are unplanned, there are now recommendations that suggest that all women in the childbearing years should take a folate supplement as part of their general health maintenance. It will not hurt you to get extra folate every day. If you normally take a vitamin supplement, be sure it has 400 micrograms of folate. If you are not a multi-vitamin person, taking just an over-the-counter folate tablet each day is fine. Feel free to choose the least expensive source of 400 micrograms of folate.
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