Folic acid, also called folate, is a B vitamin (B9) found
mostly in leafy green vegetables and legumes. Repeated studies have shown that
women who get 400 micrograms (0.4 milligrams) daily prior to conception and
during early pregnancy reduce the risk that their baby will be born with a
serious neural tube defect (a birth defect involving incomplete development of
the brain and spinal cord) by up to 70%.
