TY - JOUR T1 - Identifying women who might benefit from higher doses of folic acid in pregnancy JF - Canadian Family Physician JO - Can Fam Physician SP - 394 LP - 397 VL - 58 IS - 4 AU - Deborah Kennedy AU - Gideon Koren Y1 - 2012/04/01 UR - http://www.cfp.ca/content/58/4/394.abstract N2 - Question One of my epileptic patients who takes carbamazepine is planning to become pregnant. She told me that Motherisk advised her to take 5 mg of folic acid daily until the end of the first trimester. Are there other women who need more than the regular dose of folic acid included in prenatal vitamins? Answer Women who are at high risk of having babies with neural tube defects and who would benefit from higher doses of folic acid include those with certain folate-enzyme genotypes, previous pregnancies with neural tube defects, diabetes, malabsorption disorders, or obesity, or those who take antifolate medications or smoke. Such women should take 5 mg/d of folic acid for the 2 months before conception and during the first trimester. ER -