Women who have previously given birth to a baby with a neural tube defect should be offered folic acid 5 mg daily prior to conception and up to the twelfth week of pregnancy. They should also be encouraged to eat foods rich in folate.
Folic acid 5 mg is only available on prescription. Folic acid appears to be safe at these high doses - 20 times the recommended dose for healthy, non-pregnant women - and nevertheless, the probability of preventing recurrence far outweighs the risk to the mother.
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