Women who take folic acid for at least a year prior to getting pregnant could reduce their risk of having a premature birth, researchers have found.
Doctors at the University of Texas carried out a study involving 38,000 women, all of whom were pregnant with one baby.
They found that taking folic acid for at least a year prior to getting pregnant reduced the risk of very early deliveries by 70 per cent.
Tim Draycott, a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, told the Guardian that premature births are a "tremendous burden" on families and society.
Commenting on the findings, which were announced at the 28th Annual Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine in Dallas, US, he said: "Anything that is potentially beneficial - and particularly something as safe as folic acid - we would welcome as an intervention."
British women are already advised to take 0.4mg of folic acid every day while trying to conceive, as well as during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy in order to prevent neural tube defects.
Women who take folic acid for at least a year prior to getting pregnant could reduce their risk of having a premature birth, researchers have found.
