Folic acid
For example, a lack of folic acid, a B vitamin, in the diet of a mother can cause cellular neural tube deformities that result in spina bifida. Congenital disorders such as a neural tube deformity can be prevented by 72% if the mother consumes 4 mg of folic acid before the conception and after 12 weeks of pregnancy. Folic acid, or vitamin B9, aids the development of the foetal nervous system.