It is important women take folic acid before getting pregnant Taking folic acid supplements prior to pregnancy does not increase the likelihood of giving birth to twins, scientists have found. The risk of complications is also substantially reduced among women who have not previously had such complications. The researchers, writing in The Lancet medical journal, conclude that there is no evidence that folic-acid supplementation is associated with an increased rate of twinning. Dr Fiona Mathews, from Oxford University, said women may have been dissuaded from taking folic acid if they thought there was a chance of a multiple birth.
Twins carry substantially more risk than a normal pregnancy.
There is a higher risk of pre-term birth and of miscarriage. Folic Acid safeguards against birth defects Research in the Dutch city of Nijmegen has found that a joint sustained effort by health authorities, the media and health care professionals can significantly boost the number of women who take folic acid supplements. In the UK, approximately one in three women who want to get pregnant currently take folic acid supplements. Doctors recommend that women take 4mg a day in supplements, assuming that they take in an additional 2mg a day from their natural diet. Dr Mathews said the UK research found that only one woman in 1,000 took in sufficient folic acid from her diet alone.