Which vitamin is critical in reducing the risk of neural tube defects during pregnancy?

Folic Acid, also known as Vitamin B9, plays a crucial role in reducing the risk of neural tube defects (NTDs) during early pregnancy. NTDs are serious congenital abnormalities that affect the spine and brain, such as spina bifida and anencephaly. Folic acid is essential for proper cell division and DNA synthesis, which are vital processes during the rapid cellular growth that occurs in early fetal development.

To significantly reduce the risk of NTDs, it is recommended that women of childbearing age consume adequate amounts of folic acid, particularly before conception and in the first trimester of pregnancy. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests that women should take a daily supplement of 400 micrograms of folic acid. This preventive measure has been shown to lower the incidence of these defects by as much as 70%.

In contrast, while vitamins A, D, and C have important health benefits, they do not have a proven direct effect on the risk of neural tube defects in the same way that folic acid does. Vitamin A is crucial for vision and immune function, vitamin D plays a role in bone health and immune response, and vitamin C is important for skin health and antioxidant actions, but none