Experts endorse using folic acid before conception

Since January, The Scottish Spina Bifida Association found that the normal number of babies being born with the illness had doubled to fifteen.

Research indicates that taking folic acid supplements can prevent many cases of Spina Bifida. The illness causes children to be born often paralysed from the waist down suffering from bowel, bladder, spinal cord problems and even brain damage.

Often folic acid supplements are taken too late. New research suggests that taking folic acid three months prior to conception as well as during pregnancy could avert up to 75 per cent of cases.

Consultant geneticist and chair of the Scottish Spina Bifida Association, Dr. Margo Whiteford commented that: ‘The spinal cord develops within the first four weeks of pregnancy so by that stage it's too late - if the baby's going to have spina bifida it will already have developed it.’

However, this evidence is under review since new research has indicated that taking the supplement could increase the risk of colorectal cancer. Moreover, the results were gathered solely from Scottland, where only half of cases are terminated compared to 90 per cent in the rest of the UK.

The Food Standards Agency has therefore concluded that anyone who is not trying to conceive should obtain enough folic acid through a balanced diet. Yet the FSA does advise that women should take 0.4mg of folic acid until week twelve of pregnancy.