How do I know if I am at risk for having a baby with neural defects and how can I prevent this from happening?

Women who are at the greatest risk are those that have had a previous pregnancy that involved a neural defect. Women who are not eating a balanced diet that includes folic acid are also at risk.

The best way to prevent neural defects is to take the recommended 0.4 mg of folic acid daily, for one month before conception and during the first three months. Multivitamins that include folic acid should only be used as a supplement. You cannot take too much folic acid, but you can over-dose on the other vitamins contained in multivitamin formulas.