Prevention of Anencephaly

Prevention list:

Methods of prevention of Anencephaly mentioned in various sources includes those listed below. This prevention information is gathered from various sources, and may be inaccurate or incomplete. None of these methods guarantee prevention of Anencephaly.

• Folate

Prevention of Anencephaly:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that up to 3,000 of these neural tube birth defects could be prevented each year if women consumed folic acid each day before pregnancy and during the early months of pregnancy. Since half of all pregnancies in the U.S. are not planned, many women may not find out that they are pregnant until well after the ideal time to prevent these birth defects. As a result, the Public Health Service recommends that all women of childbearing age consume 0.4 mg of folic acid each day to prevent spina bifida and anencephaly. (Source: excerpt from Folic Acid: NWHIC)