title: Identifying women who might benefit from higher doses of folic acid in pregnancy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  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?
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toronto.
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kennedy
authors.forename: Gideon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Koren
mesh_terms: D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000378:metabolism; D006397:Hematinics / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006801:Humans; D009436:Neural Tube Defects / Q000235:genetics / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D016742:Preconception Care; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D014815:Vitamins; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D006397:Hematinics; D014815:Vitamins; D005492:Folic Acid