Which vitamin helps prevent major birth defects of the brain and spine (neural tube defects) in newborn babies?

Vitamin B9 is a water-soluble B-complex vitamin. Its natural form in foods is called folate, and its synthetic form, used in supplements and fortified foods, is called folic acid.

Folate is needed for making DNA and for cell division and growth. It is especially important during periods of rapid growth, such as pregnancy and infancy. It is also needed, along with vitamin B12, to make healthy red blood cells.

Neural tube defects (NTDs) are serious birth defects of the brain and spinal cord. The neural tube is the structure in an embryo that develops into the brain and spinal cord. It forms and closes very early in pregnancy, within the first four weeks, often before a woman knows she is pregnant. If it does not close completely, defects such as:

Spina bifida: incomplete closure of the spine, which can cause paralysis and other problems.

Anencephaly: absence of a major part of the brain and skull; babies do not survive.

Taking adequate folic acid before conception and during early pregnancy greatly reduces the risk of neural tube defects. For this reason, doctors recommend that women planning a pregnancy take folic acid supplements (usually 400 micrograms a day). In India, iron and folic acid (IFA) tablets are given to pregnant women, adolescent girls and children under the Anaemia Mukt Bharat programme (2018), part of the POSHAN Abhiyaan. Many countries fortify flour with folic acid.

Food sources of folate include green leafy vegetables (the name comes from the Latin "folium", meaning leaf), legumes such as beans, lentils and chickpeas, citrus fruits, nuts, liver and fortified cereals.

Deficiency of folate can also cause megaloblastic anaemia, in which the red blood cells are large and immature.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Vitamin B1 (thiamine) deficiency causes beriberi.
• ✗Vitamin E (tocopherol) is an antioxidant; its deficiency can affect reproduction and nerves.
• ✗Vitamin K (phylloquinone) is needed for blood clotting; newborns are given a vitamin K injection at birth.