All women planning pregnancy should begin supplementing 0.4 mg of folic acid daily >1 month prior to conception and continue through the first trimester of pregnancy to decrease the risk of neural tube defects. Because many pregnancies are unplanned, it is recommended that women of childbearing age consume this amount daily. A higher dose of 4 mg daily is recommended for women who have risk factors for a neural tube defect (eg, antiepileptic use, prior pregnancy with a neural tube defect).