U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Folic Acid for the Prevention of Neural Tube Defects: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement. Ann Intern Med 2009 May 5;150(9):626-631.
http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/abstract/150/9/626
http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/full/150/9/626
http://www.annals.org/cgi/reprint/150/9/626.pdf
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CLINICAL GUIDELINES
Folic Acid for the Prevention of Neural Tube Defects: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force*
5 May 2009 | Volume 150 Issue 9 | Pages 626-631
Description: In 1996, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommended that all women planning or capable of pregnancy take a multivitamin supplement containing folic acid for the prevention of neural tube defects. This recommendation is an update of the 1996 USPSTF recommendation.
Methods: The USPSTF reviewed the evidence on folic acid supplementation in women of childbearing age published since the 1996 USPSTF recommendation. The USPSTF did not review the evidence on folic acid food fortification, counseling to increase dietary intake, or screening for neural tube defects.
Recommendation: The USPSTF recommends that all women planning or capable of pregnancy take a daily supplement containing 0.4 to 0.8 mg (400 to 800 µg) of folic acid. (Grade A recommendation).
Author and Article Information
From the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, Maryland.
Disclaimer: Recommendations made by the USPSTF are independent of the U.S. government. They should not be construed as an official position of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Financial Support: The USPSTF is an independent, voluntary body. The U.S. Congress mandates that the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality support the operations of the USPSTF.
Potential Financial Conflicts of Interest: None disclosed.
Requests for Single Reprints: Reprints are available from the USPSTF Web site (http://www.preventiveservices.ahrq.gov).
* For a list of the members of the USPSTF, see the Appendix.
Related articles in Annals:
Summaries for Patients
Folic Acid for the Prevention of Infant Neural Tube Defects: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation
Annals 2009 150: I-50. [Full Text] ÂÂ
http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/full/150/9/I-50
Copyright © 2009 by the American College of Physicians.