TY - JOUR T1 - Folic acid JF - Canadian Family Physician JO - Can Fam Physician SP - 1545 LP - 1547 VL - 54 IS - 11 AU - Gideon Koren AU - Y. Ingrid Goh AU - Chagit Klieger Y1 - 2008/11/01 UR - http://www.cfp.ca/content/54/11/1545.abstract N2 - QUESTION The new Motherisk Guidelines suggest 5 mg/d of folic acid. Why was the dose increased? What is the time frame for taking such a dose? ANSWER Recent data from Ontario reveal that 40% of women of reproductive age still do not achieve therapeutic systemic levels of folate needed to prevent neural tube defects. Compliance is less than optimal among women using prenatal vitamins, rendering many women unprotected against neural tube defects. Taking a higher dose of folate will allow achievement of protective folate levels, even with partial compliance. Five mg of folate should be used daily several months before conception until the end of the first trimester. ER -