Pregnant women who lack the vitamin folate in their blood are more likely to have a baby with a low birth weight, British scientists said on Friday (August 5).
Folate is a B vitamin found in green leafy vegetables, cereals and liver. It is essential for foetal growth and gene expression, helping produce and maintain new cells.
Women are already advised to take folic acid supplements, a synthetic compound of folate, before conceiving and during the early months of pregnancy, to reduce the risk of defects such as spina bifida, a defect of the spinal column.
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