The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has issued a final recommendation statement on folic acid supplementation for the prevention of neural tube defects. The statement is an update to the 2009 USPSTF recommendation on folic acid supplementation in women of childbearing years. Based on new evidence pertaining to the benefits and harms of folic acid supplementation, the updated USPSTF recommendation offers the following:

• The USPSTF recommends that all women who are planning or capable of pregnancy take a daily supplement containing 0.4 to 0.8 mg (400 to 800 µg) of folic acid. (A recommendation).