According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) not enough women are taking folic acid prior to getting pregnant. Many women are aware of the benefits of folic acid during pregnancy, which include the prevention of birth defects. However, doctors recommend that sufficient folic acid levels be present in the body prior to getting pregnant in order to ensure a healthy start to pregnancy. This leads to another issue related to pre-conception counseling. The CDC found that 85% of women in the study did not seek medical attention from a healthcare provider prior to pregnancy.

Source: ABC7Chicago.com