Folic acid : recommendations and interventions to increase women’s peri-conceptional intake of folic acid

Abstract

Folic acid is known to be beneficial in pregnancy and has been shown to prevent severe and devastating birth defects including neural tube defects. Health Authorities and Governments around the world have taken several initiatives in order to increase women’s peri-conceptional folic acid intake, varying from issuing guidelines, undertaking extensive health promotion campaigns to mandatory food fortification of staple foods with folic acid. These interventions have had varying success in preventing neural tube defects. This paper is a comprehensive review of the current literature, putting together and summarizing the various initiatives undertaken by different countries and their success or otherwise in increasing women’s peri-conceptional folic acid intake and preventing neural tube defects.