Mills J L, Conley M R
Division of Epidemiology, Statistics, and Prevention Research, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
Curr Opin Obstet Gynecol. 1996 Dec;8(6):394-7.
Folic acid prevents some neural tube defects by correcting abnormal homocysteine metabolism. A defective gene coding for a homocysteine-related enzyme has been shown in people with neural tube defects. An extensive educational campaign will be required to alert women to the need to take 0.4 mg/day of folic acid during their childbearing years.