Pregnancy: Folic Acid

(asked on 17th October 2017) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what changes, if any, they have made in the past two years in relation to raising awareness among women of child bearing age of the need to take folic acid supplements prior to conception.


Answered by
Lord O'Shaughnessy Portrait
Lord O'Shaughnessy
This question was answered on 31st October 2017

Key components of pre-conception care include healthy lifestyle advice and support and advice for women with pre-existing conditions. General advice and health education messages are provided in a range of settings targeted at women of childbearing age.

Information is also available online via NHS Choices and includes folic acid supplementation and advice on seeing a healthcare professional as early in pregnancy as possible. The Department supports the NHS Choices recommendations that women take 400 micrograms of folic acid every day prior to conception and in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, as it can help prevent neural tube defects.

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