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Folic Acid for the Prevention of Neural Tube Defects: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement
- U.S. Preventive Services Task Force*
- From the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, Maryland.
Abstract
Description: In 1996, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommended that all women planning or capable of pregnancy take a multivitamin supplement containing folic acid for the prevention of neural tube defects. This recommendation is an update of the 1996 USPSTF recommendation.
Methods: The USPSTF reviewed the evidence on folic acid supplementation in women of childbearing age published since the 1996 USPSTF recommendation. The USPSTF did not review the evidence on folic acid food fortification, counseling to increase dietary intake, or screening for neural tube defects.
Recommendation: The USPSTF recommends that all women planning or capable of pregnancy take a daily supplement containing 0.4 to 0.8 mg (400 to 800 μg) of folic acid. (Grade A recommendation).
Article and Author Information
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Disclaimer: Recommendations made by the USPSTF are independent of the U.S. government. They should not be construed as an official position of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
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Financial Support: The USPSTF is an independent, voluntary body. The U.S. Congress mandates that the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality support the operations of the USPSTF.
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Potential Financial Conflicts of Interest: None disclosed.
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Requests for Single Reprints: Reprints are available from the USPSTF Web site (http://www.preventiveservices.ahrq.gov).
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↵* For a list of the members of the USPSTF, see the Appendix.
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